Performance Evaluation of Phenol Formaldehyde Resin-impregnated Veneers and Laminated Veneer Lumber

For the past decade, mountain pine beetle infestation in British Columbia, Canada, has substantially changed wood characteristics of vast amounts of the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) resource. Resin impregnation is one method that could improve the properties of the beetle-affected wood. The key objective of this study was to examine the impact of resin impregnation on dynamic MOE of lodgepole pine veneers and properties of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) made with these treated veneers. A new phenol formaldehyde resin was formulated to treat these veneers using dipping and vacuum-pressure methods. Five-ply LVL billets were made with treated and untreated veneers. Their color, dimensional stability, surface hardness, flatwise bending modulus and strength, and shear strength were evaluated. Good correlation existed between veneer MOE enhancement and resin solids uptake. With the same treatment, stained veneers had higher resin retention and in turn greater MOE enhancement than nonstained (clear) veneers. A 5-min dipping was sufficient for veneers to achieve approximately 7 and 10% resin solids uptake and in turn 5 and 8% enhancement in veneer MOE for nonstained and stained veneers, respectively. LVL made with treated veneers had a harder surface with no discoloration concerns compared with the control. Also, evidence suggested that use of resin impregnation can improve dimensional stability, shear strength, and flatwise bending MOE of LVL