Abstract
Thermal modifi cation of wood permanently alters several of its chemical and physical properties. Beech wood is one of the most important hardwoods in Central and Eastern Europe and is extensively used in furniture production. In this study the effects of thermal modifi cation of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) on hygroscopic properties were examined and the color changes of the treated wood were determined. Beech wood has been subjected to a heat treatment at the temperature of 180 °C for fi ve different durations ranging from 2 to 10 h. A more intense, gradual color change of the treated samples was observed after 4-h treatment, whereas in some other cases the recorded alterations were less intense. The most pronounced color differentiations compared to untreated samples occurred in 8-h and 10-h treatments. Dimensional stability and absorption were measured after 1-h, 3-h, 6-h, 1 day and 3 days immersion in water. The 8-h treatment duration exhibits the greatest reduction of swelling and absorption percentage.
Highlights
Beech wood has been subjected to a heat treatment at the temperature of 180 °C for five different durations ranging from 2 to 10 h
This study demonstrated that higher temperatures led to a rise in mass loss and a decrease in mechanical properties, whereas the effect on modulus of elasticity (MOE) was negligible
This study was conducted to assess the variation of dimensional stability after immersion in water for 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 24 h and 72 h, the weight loss caused by heat treatment, weight increase after [7, 14, 21] days and 5 months of air conditioning at 20 ± 3 °C and 60 ± 5 % relative humidity, and the color changes (ΔL, Δa, Δb, ΔE, ΔC) after heat treatment of beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood at 180 oC for [2, 4, 6, 8] and 10 hours
Summary
Improvement of wood material properties and the increase of its lifespan have occupied scientists for numerous years as wood is an omnipresent and indispensable material for a very wide range of applications such as furniture production and building constructions. Reppelin et al (2005) evaluated the swelling of heat treated beech wood in relation to chemical composition, and Hakkou et al (2006) studied the fungal durability of heat treated Fagus sylvatica in the temperature range of 200 to 280 oC, and the results indicated a considerably good correlation between the process temperature and wood durability They demonstrated a sufficient correlation between decay resistant and mass loss measurements, which are directly correlated to hemicellulose degradation. This study was conducted to assess the variation of dimensional stability (swelling, absorption) after immersion in water for 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 24 h and 72 h, the weight loss caused by heat treatment, weight increase after [7, 14, 21] days and 5 months of air conditioning at 20 ± 3 °C and 60 ± 5 % relative humidity, and the color changes (ΔL, Δa, Δb, ΔE, ΔC) after heat treatment of beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood at 180 oC for [2, 4, 6, 8] and 10 hours
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