A Sustainable Cellulose-Based Hydrogel for the Reinforcement of Deteriorated Wood in Heritage Conservation

A Sustainable Cellulose-Based Hydrogel for the Reinforcement of Deteriorated Wood in Heritage Conservation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A Sustainable Cellulose-Based Hydrogel for the Reinforcement of Deteriorated Wood in Heritage Conservation Lei Zhong, Yuhua Chang, Ping Pang, Xue Wang, Wenting Gu, Yanfei Wei This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6723812/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The structural degradation of wooden cultural heritage artifacts poses a significant challenge to their long-term preservation. In response to this issue, we have developed a sustainable and biocompatible three-component composite hydrogel designed to reinforce decayed wood while maintaining material compatibility and environmental safety. The hydrogel comprises carboxylated cellulose nanofibres (CCNC), polyanionic cellulose (PAC), and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), all of which are chemically compatible with the wood matrix. These components are derived from abundant, environmentally friendly sources and enable a simple, scalable preparation process. Upon application, the hydrogel significantly reduced the porosity of decayed wood, with post-treatment porosity measured at 73.41%, indicating substantial pore-filling capability. Mechanical performance testing revealed that the maximum radial compressive load increased by approximately 6.9 times, with a corresponding 2.88-fold increase in compressive strength. The maximum tangential compressive load increased by around 6.5 times, while the compressive strength in the tangential direction improved by approximately 8.94 times.The use of isopropyl alcohol as a surfactant further enhanced hydrogel infiltration into the wood structure. Microscopic analysis confirmed the formation of a continuous, uniform reinforcement layer that strengthened interfacial adhesion and improved the overall structural integrity of the wood. These findings highlight the hydrogel’s potential as a highly effective, conservation-oriented material for reinforcing deteriorated wooden artifacts, offering a promising approach to sustainable wood preservation and heritage conservation. hydrogel cellulose nanofibres polyanionic cellulose carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogen bonding wood reinforcement Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupportingInformation.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6723812","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":462898873,"identity":"63822bae-32d0-495f-9700-b35e07e3a38a","order_by":0,"name":"Lei 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In response to this issue, we have developed a sustainable and biocompatible three-component composite hydrogel designed to reinforce decayed wood while maintaining material compatibility and environmental safety. The hydrogel comprises carboxylated cellulose nanofibres (CCNC), polyanionic cellulose (PAC), and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), all of which are chemically compatible with the wood matrix. These components are derived from abundant, environmentally friendly sources and enable a simple, scalable preparation process. Upon application, the hydrogel significantly reduced the porosity of decayed wood, with post-treatment porosity measured at 73.41%, indicating substantial pore-filling capability. Mechanical performance testing revealed that the maximum radial compressive load increased by approximately 6.9 times, with a corresponding 2.88-fold increase in compressive strength. 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