Enhancing Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) Laminated Board Properties with Impregnation of Citric Acid, Boric Acid, and Polystyrene

A good way to produce large-sized wood products from small-diameter logs is by using laminated boards. The lamina undergoes an impregnation pretreatment to improve its quality before being formed into laminated boards (LBs). This research was performed to analyze the effects of an impregnation treatment on Jabon lamina with citric acid, boric acid, and polystyrene solutions on the physical and mechanical properties of Jabon LB. The Jabon lamina was first pretreated with citric acid, boric acid, and polystyrene by vacuuming for 30 min and pressing for 30 min at a pressure of 6.6 bar. The laminas were glued using isocyanate adhesive with a spreading rate of 280 g/m2, consisting of three layers, which were cold pressed for 24 h. LB’s physical and mechanical properties were affected by the nature of the impregnating agent. Impregnating the lamina with citric acid and boric acid increased the density and moisture content of the laminated board, decreasing its mechanical properties. On the contrary, polystyrene-impregnated LB improved. After soaking in hot water, no LB displayed delamination, indicating high bonding performance. The best impregnating agent for lamina pretreatment was polystyrene, followed by boric acid and citric acid. The chemical compound, functional group, and degree of crystallinity of treated Jabon LB all changed due to the impregnation process.