Evaluation of Cell-Wall Microstructure and Anti-Swelling Effectiveness of Heat-Treated Larch Wood

Abstract

In this study, the cell-wall microstructure and anti-swelling effectiveness (ASE) of heat-treated larch wood were evaluated and the correlation between them was analyzed. For this purpose, some larch lumbers were heat-treated for 12, 18, and 24 hours at temperatures of 190°C and 220°C. By observing the scanning electron microscopy cross-sectional image of the heat-treated larch, it was confirmed that the shape of heat-treated wood cell changed, the cut-section of the wood cell wall was rough, and the intercellular space has become wide as the intercellular bonds had broken because of heat-treatment. In addition, the evaluation of the swelling for each treatment condition revealed that, as the heat-treatment temperature and duration increased, the amount of absorbed water and swelling decreased and the ASE increased. The decrease in the amount of absorbed water is thought to be affected by the chemical change in the cell wall by heat-treatment. On the contrary, the decrease in the swelling and the increase in the ASE are thought to be due to a combination of chemical changes and physical changes such as structural changes in the cell wall.