Effect of Densification Temperature and Some Surfacing Techniques on the Surface Roughness of Densified Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Abstract

The effects of densification temperature, planing, circular sawing, and sanding on the surface roughness of densified Scots pine using the open-system thermodynamic method were studied. Densification was applied to Scots pine at 6 MPa pressure and at temperatures of 120 °C, 140 °C, and 160 °C. A total of 1040 specimens (160 × 50 × 10 mm) were prepared using the surfacing techniques of planing, circular sawing, and sanding. The surface roughness of the specimens were measured in conformance with the TS 2495, EN ISO 3274, and the TS 6212 EN ISO 4288 standards, and the results were subjected to statistical analysis. The surface roughness of the planed surfaces was 26% lower, of the surfaces cut circularly was 38% lower, and of the sanded surfaces was 32% lower in densified Scots pine compared to undensified Scots pine. According to the densification temperature, while the lowest roughness was obtained in the densified specimens at 140 °C, raising the temperature to 160 °C increased the roughness. An increase in the number of blades in planing, the tooth number in circular sawing, and the grit number in planing decreased the surface roughness. Furthermore, the roughness was less in tangential surfaces compared to radial surfaces.