Factors Affecting the Quality of Wood-Cement Composites

Abstract

The aims of this research are the creation of wood-cement composites with predetermined properties and the prediction of the physical-mechanical characteristics of composites. The main factors that determine the quality of wood-cement composites are the properties of the original components (quality of organic filler, kind of mineraliser, type and activity of cement), the composition of initial components, technological factors (conditions for preparing the wood-cement mixture, molding method, method of densification and hardening), design features and type of finish. In order to manufacture the highest-quality wood-cement composites, it is recommended to use fillers, obtained from waste wood with the least amount of water-soluble substances such as spruce, fir, pine. The water-cement ratio and wood-cement ratio in the mixture have a significant impact on the quality of wood-cement composites. Reducing the water-cement ratio or increasing the strength of cement can improve the strength of the wood-cement composite. The fractional composition of the organic filler has a significant influence on the properties of the wood-cement composite. The average value of the shape factor of particles (ratio of the largest dimension to smallest) should not be over 8. The surface treatment of the wood filler gel composed of liquid silica and calcium chloride, increases the adhesive bond strength for the filler of aspen by 8.4 times, of birch by 4.3 times, of pine by 2.3 times. The gel is particularly effective in the production of wood-cement composites from greenwood.