Mechanical Properties of Douglas Fir Wood at Elevated Temperatures under Nitrogen Conditions
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 2
Abstract
The mechanical properties of wood tend to decrease with increasing temperature under normal atmospheric conditions. A pyrolysis zone develops inside wood when it catches fire, and the surface is charred; it is important to understand the mechanical properties of the wood under the charred surface. In this study, the mechanical properties of Douglas fir wood, such as its compressive, tensile, and bending strengths, were measured under nitrogen atmosphere at nine temperatures between 20°C and 280°C for exposure times ranging from 60 to . The results indicated that the wood’s mechanical properties under the nitrogen atmosphere (i.e., oxygen-depleted conditions) decreased with increasing temperature, and the exposure time had little effect on the investigated properties. The mechanical properties of the wood under the charred surface exhibited a nonlinear decrease with increasing temperature due to the hydrolysis reactions. The mechanical properties were accurately described by temperature-dependent equations combining a linear model with three polynomial functions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that high temperatures in the oxygen-free environment induced severe microstructural damage to the wood.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This study was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2019YFD1101001) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51978331).
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 2 • February 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 23, 2020
Accepted: Jun 10, 2021
Published online: Nov 23, 2021
Published in print: Feb 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Apr 23, 2022
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