Preparation and Properties of Heat-treated Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana) Veneer

The feasibility of heat treatment of Masson pine veneers (MPVs) was evaluated based on mass loss, tensile strength, bending strength, and water absorption of the heat-treated MPVs, and its application in plywood was explored. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray diffraction results showed that heat-treated MPVs contained a lower amount of hydrophilic groups and had an increased crystallinity. The maximum tensile strength was 59.2 MPa when MPVs were heat-treated at 210 °C for 5.0 min. The corresponding mass loss, water absorption (384 h), and bending strength values were 1.72%, 105.44%, and 83.1 MPa, respectively. Plywood produced from heat-treated MPV (210 °C, 30 min) with the best fungal durability and the lowest shear strength (1.07 MPa) still met the requirements of the Chinese National Standard (GB/T 9846.3-2004, ≥0.80 MPa) for exterior plywood. These results indicate that products based on heat-treated MPV will have increased fungal durability.