Abstract (eng)
The aim of this work was to find a way to apply the method of cross sectional nanoindentation to wood-adhesive interfaces. Samples were subjected to various surface treatments to artificially lower the adhesion strength. Contact angle measurements showed significant changes for all treatments. In the following shear test, one set of samples displayed a shear strength close to zero, giving a good basis for measuring the specific adhesion was given. Nanoindentation experiments were performed directly at the wood-adhesive bond line, where the adhesive was in intimate contact with the inner cell wall of wood cells. Results from a first experiment displayed a clear trend of decreasing adhesion for increasing contact angles, in accordance with the shear test. In a second experiment, indents were performed using varying load functions, to analyse their influence on the experiment. Results showed a strong hysteretic behaviour of the force-displacement curve for displacement controlled multi-load functions due to additional visco-elastic deformation, causing an increase in the measured specific work of indentation as well as the specific work of adhesion, which varied between 80-170J/m². However, all results showed the expected significant decrease in adhesive strength. Material characterisation of the cell wall and the adhesive showed no similar trends for their respective mechanical properties, thus allowing to discard the possibility of artefacts. With these findings, it was concluded that cross sectional nanoindentation can indeed be applied to wood-adhesive interfaces and should provide new insights into the nature of adhesive bonds in wood-based composites.