An Investigation of Consolidants Penetration in Wood. Part 2: FTIR Spectroscopy

FTIR spectroscopy was used in this work for studying the penetration of some consolidants frequentlyused in old wood conservation into test pieces of sound spruce wood (Picea abies) wood. Thin microsections(30-60 μm) of control and treated wood were analysed in reflectance mode using an ATR system. Theconsolidation products investigated were Paraloid B72, bee wax, a mixture of bee wax / linseed oil and twotypes of paraffins. These products presented FTIR spectra with characteristic common and specific bands,allowing their identification in the treated wood with no impediments coming from their colour, transparencyor the percent of cell lumena filling. The treatment of wood with these products brought about alterations ofthe spectra aspect by the appearance or intensification of some characteristic bands and the modification ofthe ratio between the areas of some characteristic absorption bands so that a qualitative and semiquantitativeevaluation of the presence and penetration depth and distribution of these consolidationproducts in wood was possible, proving the adopted method as valuable and useful for further research inthis field.