Enhancement of fir and poplar wood properties with citric acid and polyols esterification

Özkan O. E., Ateş S., TEMİZ A.

European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, cilt.84, sa.5, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 84 Sayı: 5
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s00107-026-02475-5
  • Dergi Adı: European Journal of Wood and Wood Products
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chimica, Compendex, ICONDA Bibliographic, INSPEC, The International Construction Database (ICONDA), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest)
  • Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

In this study, fir (Abies nordmanniana) and poplar (Populus sp.) woods were modified via in situ esterification using citric acid (CA) and five different polyols (glucose, sorbitol, glycerol, sucrose, and maltodextrin). Aqueous CA polyol formulations (10%, w/w) were impregnated into wood and cured at 150 °C for 2 h. Equilibrium moisture content (EMC), water absorption (WA), anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), morphological characterization of modified wood, antibacterial activity, decay resistance, compression strength parallel to the grain (CS) and chemical structure properties of the modified wood with citric acid were examined. The results showed that the EMC at 90% relative humidity (RH) and the WA rates of the modified woods decreased, while ASE increased to 57%. Antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus was observed in fir wood modified with CA and in poplar wood modified with CA, CA/sorbitol, CA/glycerol. The fungal decay test showed the mass loss of fir wood samples ranged between 5.4 and 7.7% and 7.3–10.3% in poplar wood, indicating enhanced biological durability. CS increased by 10% in fir wood and 21.3% in poplar wood after modification. In summary, citric acid-polyol modification enhanced the physical, mechanical, and biological properties of fir and poplar wood, demonstrating a promising, eco-friendly, and cost-effective wood modification method.