为研究高温改性对低质速生木材力学性能的影响规律和作用机制, 优化基于强度等级的木材改性温度, 以期为高温改性木材在建筑结构中的合理应用提供依据, 开展了160～210 ℃宽温域范围内高温改性对国产低质速生杨木抗弯强度(fm)、 顺纹抗拉强度(ft, 0)、 横纹弦向(ft, T, 90)和径向抗拉强度(ft, R, 90)、 顺纹抗压强度(fc, 0)、 顺纹弦面剪切速度(fv, T)和径面剪切强度(fv, R), 以及弹性模量(E0)等共计560个试件的材性试验, 利用傅里叶变换红外光谱分析高温改性木材的化学组分变化。 结果表明, 木材中半纤维素耐热性最低, 最先受热降解, 温度≥190 ℃时, 热解加快。 纤维素耐热性较强, 高温作用下轻微热解, 且主要发生在无定形区域内, 导致无定形区微纤丝排列有序性增加。 高温对木材fm, ft, 0, ft, 90和fv劣化作用明显, 常温时木材fm, ft, 0, ft, T, 90, ft, R, 90, fv, T和fv, R分别为67.0, 86.2, 5.8, 8.9, 7.7和6.7 MPa, 改性温度较低时, 木材化学组分轻微热解, 力学性能下降相对较慢, 180 ℃时分别降至53.5, 78.9, 4.0, 4.8, 6.0和5.4 MPa, 改性温度高于190 ℃时木材化学组分热解加剧, 导致力学性能快速降低, 210 ℃时分别降至常温时的44.5%, 56.1%, 43.1%, 29.2%, 34.5%和26.7%。 160~210 ℃范围内, 高温改性木材的fc, 0和E0先升高后降低, 20 ℃时fc, 0和E0分别为41.4和8 568 MPa, 160~180 ℃范围内随着温度的升高, 纤维素结晶度提高导致力学性能增加, 180 ℃时达到峰值, 较初始值分别高30.7%和12.8%, 温度继续升高时, 纤维素热解程度增加, fc, 0和E0持续降低, 210 ℃时, 分别降至45.0和8104 MPa。 未处理试件由于E0未达到欧洲规范BS EN 338最低强度等级D18的要求, 不能用作结构用材; 160~170 ℃温度改性试件的E0较未处理试件有所提高, 但仍低于规范中最低强度等级D18的要求; 改性温度升至180 ℃时, E0继续增加, 杨木达到强度等级D18; 190~200 ℃改性材的E0略有降低, 但仍满足规范中结构用材要求, 而fv, R降低幅度过大, 木材强度等级不满足最低强度等级D18的使用要求。 研究结果将为高温改性技术以及国产速生木材在建筑结构中的合理应用提供依据。

The study was performed to evaluate the effects of thermal modification on the mechanical properties, optimize the modification temperature based on strength class, and provide a basis for the rational application of thermally modified wood in buildings. In this study, a total of 560 poplar wood specimens were tested to determine the effects of thermal modification between 160 and 210 ℃ on mechanical properties, such as bending strength (fm), parallel-to-grain tensile strength along the grain (ft, 0), perpendicular-to-grain tangential (ft, T, 90) and radial tensile strength (ft, R, 90), parallel-to-grain compressive strength (fc, 0), parallel-to-grain tangential (fv, T) and radial shear strength (fv, R), and modulus of elasticity (E0). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the changes in chemical components of thermally modified wood at different temperature levels. The optimization temperature of thermal modification based on strength class was put forward. The results showed that the hemicellulose within wood had the lowest heat resistance under high-temperature condition and was first degraded by thermal exposure followed by acceleration at ≥190 ℃. The thermal resistance of cellulose was relatively higher, which was slightly degraded at the higher temperature, and mainly occurred in the amorphous region, increasing the orderly arrangement of microfibril. It was shown that thermal modification had an obvious adverse effects on fm, ft, 0, ft, 90 and fv of poplar wood. At room temperature, fm, ft, 0, ft, T, 90, ft, R, 90, fv, T　and fv, R were determined as 67.0, 86.2, 5.8, 8.9, 7.7 and 6.7 MPa, respectively. At lower temperatures, the chemical components of wood degraded slightly, and the mechanical properties of thermally modified poplar wood specimens decreased slowly. These parameters decreased to 53.5, 78.9, 4.0, 4.8, 6.0 and 5.4 MPa at 180 ℃, respectively. When the temperature was ≥190 ℃, severe pyrolysis occurred to the main chemical components, resulting in the rapid reduction of mechanical properties. At 210 ℃, these parameters represented 44.5%, 56.1%, 43.1%, 29.2%, 34.5% and 26.7% of the values at normal temperature, respectively. fc, 0 and E0 of thermally modified poplar wood increased as the temperature increased from 160 to 180 ℃, then decreased in the temperature range between 190 and 210 ℃. fc, 0 and E0 were 41.4 and 8 568 MPa at 20 ℃, respectively. In the temperature range between 160 and 180 ℃, the crystallization of cellulose increased, leading to the increase of the two parameters. At temperature of 180 ℃, fc, 0 and E0 were 30.7% and 12.8% higher than those at room temperature, respectively. The pyrolysis of cellulose increased with the temperature, resulting in the two values decreasing continuously until they achieved 45.0 and 8 104 MPa at 210 ℃, respectively. The untreated poplar wood cannot be used as a structural material, because E0 does not meet the requirements of the minimum strength class D18 according to European standard BS EN 338. The E0 of the modified wood specimen between 160 and 170 ℃ was higher than that of the untreated, but it was still lower than that specified by the minimum strength grade D18. After that, E0 increased with increasing temperature, and the modified poplar wood reached strength class D18 at 180 ℃. At temperatures between 190 and 200 ℃, the E0 of thermally modified wood specimens was higher than the corresponding value of strength class D18, but they still cannot be used as loading-bearing materials due to the excessive reduction of fv, R. The study can provide a basis for the rational application of thermal modification technology and low-quality fast-growing wood in engineering structures.