Structure and basic properties of woodceramics made from phenolic resin–basswood powder composite

A new woodceramics was developed by carbonizing phenolic resin–basswood powder composite under vacuum. Structural characterization of woodceramics was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The pyrolytic behaviors of basswood powder and phenolic resin were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of carbonization temperature and weight ratio of phenolic resin to basswood powder on the volume electrical resistivity, open porosity and bending strength of woodceramics were also investigated. Experimental results show that woodceramics has a topologically uniform interconnected porous network microstructure, and is typical non-graphitizable carbon containing CC bonds, COC bonds and CH structure. With increasing carbonization temperature, the (0 0 2) peak becomes stronger, the (0 0 2) interplanar spacing and volume electrical resistivity decrease, and the dimensions of carbonized wood powder decrease, while the space between carbonized basswood powders and the open porosity and bending strength of woodceramics increase. The increasing weight ratio of phenolic resin to basswood powder improves the forming ability of phenolic resin impregnated wood powders, and results in a more uniform microstructure, but there is a slight effect on the XRD pattern of woodceramics. The volume electrical resistivity and open porosity decrease, and the bending strength increases as the weight ratio of phenolic resin to wood powder increases.