Investigation of the Fracture of Resinated Single Wood Fibers in an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (Esem)

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Single fiber fracture is important in understanding the fundamental failure mechanisms in wood/polymer composite products such as medium density fiberboard (MDF). The mechanical properties and fracture behavior of individual wood fibers has only recently been observable using a combination of environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), laser scanning confocal microscopy and digital image correlation (DIC). Previous work has shown that specific areas on the fiber such as microcompressions and pits acted as crack nucelators and induce a brash fracture across the surface of the fiber. Given the development of these procedures it is now possible to observe and measure the mechanical properties and fracture characteristics of the wood fiber/ polymer composite fibers.

Individual black spruce wood fibers were coated with diphenylmethane 4-4'diisocyanate resin containing Hostasol Red GG. The addition of the Hostasol Red flurochrome provided the option of quantifying resin coverage by fluorescence microscopy.