Development of wood innovative hardening solutions

Description

The objective of chemical wood densification is to improve the mechanical properties (hardness, dimensional stability, service life, etc.) of interior wood products in order to increase their use. The densification formulations, currently available on the market, are based on slowly polymerizing chemicals and some of these reagents are problematic in terms of their toxicity. Consequently, their use is limited or requires special equipments.

As part of this project, a new system for densifying North American wood species by chemical impregnation will be developed. The formulation developed should easily impregnate the wood before polymerizing in situ. A sustainable development perspective will also be included in this project, in order to ensure the development of products with low environmental impact, by incorporating bio-based compounds in the formulation and / or having very low volatile organic compounds emissions. In addition to the preparation of formulations and the impregnation of wood products, the student will carry out chemical, mechanical and optical characterization tests (real-time infrared spectroscopy to follow the kinetics of polymerization, micro-indentation, colorimetry, hardness Brinell, coating adhesion, accelerated weathering, etc.), necessary for the validation of an efficient and promising densification system. The student involved in this project will be integrated into the NSERC - Canlak Industrial Research Chair in interior wood product finishing. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the partners of the chair.

Requirements and Conditions

- Good writing skills, in French or English
- Good teamwork skills and an interest in carrying out a research project in partnership with the industry.
- Good autonomy and resourcefulness
- Interest in learning new characterization methods

Send your CV and your transcript to veronic.landry@sbf.ulaval.ca and CRIF@sbf.ulaval.ca