Thermal, spectroscopic, and flexural properties of anhydride modified cultivated Acacia spp.

The effects of chemical modification on the thermal stability of cultivated Acacia mangium and Acacia hybrid wood species were investigated. Evidence of modification was indicated by increase of weight and was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis (FT-IR). The thermal stability measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) increased after esterification with propionic and succinic anhydrides. Thermal stability of succinylated samples was found to be highest based on the values of on-set degradation temperatures, the temperatures at which 30, 50, and 70% degradation occurred. The observed higher thermal stability of the succinylated and propionylated Acacia wood samples when compared with unmodified wood was attributed to the reduction in hydrophilic nature of the wood due to esterification reaction.