Effect of steam on bonding strength and dimensional stability of laminated veneer lumbers manufactured using different adhesives

Laminated veneer lumbers (LVLs) manufactured from wood with different adhesives are being increasingly used in the construction of furniture frames and buildings. Yet there is little information available concerning the dimensional stability and shear strength of LVLs after being exposed to steam. In this study, LVLs were manufactured from poplar and beech veneers with phenol/formaldehyde (PF), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), Desmodur-VTKA (D-VTKA) and urea/formaldehyde (UF) adhesives. Dimensional stability of LVLs was measured after being exposed to steam for 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h, according to the Turkish Standard (TS) 3639, and also shear strength was measured (according to BS EN 205). The highest initial density of 0.93 g/cm³ was for beech LVL with VTKA adhesive. After exposure to steam for 96 h, the highest weight increase of 65.7% was for poplar LVL with PVAc, the highest radial swelling of 5.7% was for beech LVL with UF, the highest tangential swelling of 7.9% was for beech LVL with PF and the highest longitudinal swelling of 0.5% was for beech LVL with VTKA. The highest shear strength value of 15.8 N/mm² among all samples without exposure to steam was obtained for beech LVL with PVAc adhesive and the lowest shear strength was obtained as 4.48 N/mm² for poplar LVL with UF adhesive.