Determination of Air-dry Density of Wood with Polychromatic X-ray and Digital Detector

Abstract

Gravimetric method is usually used to evaluate air-dry density, which is governing physical or mechanical properties of wood. Although it had high evaluation accuracy, the method is time consuming process. Thus, this study was conducted to estimate air-dry density of wood with high accuracy by using polychromatic X-ray and digital detector as alternative of gravimetric method. To quantify polychromatic X-ray projection for evaluating air-dry density, Lambert-Beer’s law with the integral value of probability function was used. The integral value was used as weighting factor in the law, and it was determined by conducting simple test at various penetration depths and tube voltage. Mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) of wood also calculated by investigating polychromatic X-ray projection according to species, penetration depth and tube voltage. The species had not an effect on change of MAC. Finally, an air-dry density of wood was estimated by applying the integral value, MAC and Lambert-Beer’s law to polychromatic X-ray projection. As an example, the relation of the integral value (α) according to penetration depth (t, cm) at tube voltage of 35 kV was α=–0.00091t×0.0184 while the regression of the MAC (μ, cm2/g) was μ=0.5414exp(–0.0734t). When calculation of root mean squared error (RMSE) was performed to check the estimation accuracy, RMSE at 35, 45 and 55 kV was 0.010, 0.013 and 0.009 g/cm3, respectively. However, partial RMSE in relation to air-dry density was varied according to tube voltage. The partial RMSE below air-dry density of 0.41 g/cm3 was 0.008 g/cm3 when tube voltage of 35 kV was used. Meanwhile, the partial RMSE above air-dry density of 0.41 g/cm3 decreased as tube voltage increased. It was conclude that the accuracy of estimation with polychromatic X-ray and digital detector was quite high if the integral value and MAC of wood were determined precisely or a condition of examination was chosen properly. It was seemed that the estimation of air-dry density by using polychromatic X-ray system can supplant the gravimetric method.