Phase and structural change of carbonixed wood materials by hydrothermal treatment

Recently, carbonized wood materials (CWM) impregnated with thermosetting resin have been proposed for many applications like heaters, electric leads, humidity and temperature sensors, etc. However, little is known about their chemical stability in water-containing environments. We have studied the behavior and stability of carbonized wood materials in aqueous solutions in a test tube type autoclave under hydrothermal conditions, between 100 and 800 degreesC and up to 100 Mpa. The results showed an obvious weight loss due to hydrothermal corrosion and increased temperature. The samples were heavily corroded at temperatures higher than 500 degreesC. According to the results of Raman spectroscopy, amorphous carbon was selectively corroded. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.