An experimental study on changes in sound absorption capability of spruce (Picea sitchensis), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and larch (Larix kaempferi) after microwave treatment

This study investigated changes in the sound absorption coefficients of three anatomical sections of cubed spruce (Picea sitchensis), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and larch (Larix kaempferi) after microwave treatment. Microwave treatment at 1000 W and 2.4 GHz for 20 min increased the sound absorption coefficients (at 2000–5000 Hz) of spruce by 6.9% in the transverse section, 20.0% in the radial section, and 31.7% in the tangential section. The sound absorption coefficients of Douglas fir increased by 28.9% in the transverse section, 19.1% in the radial section, and 50.0% in the tangential section. Larch coefficients increased by 16.7% in the transverse section, 37.2% in the radial section, and 38.8% in the tangential section. The sound absorption coefficients of the softwoods differed according to species and anatomical plane after microwave treatment. It was concluded that changes in the measured sound absorption coefficient indicate alteration in the pore structure of wood, which can affect in turn wood permeability and impregnation. These data will be helpful for predicting the permeability and impregnation of wood after microwave treatment.

Wettability and Treatability of Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) I.C. Nielsen) wood from NTB

The supply of wood from natural forests is decreasing as a result of the imbalance between harvesting and planting. The lack of wood supply from natural forests has resulted in relatively expensive wood prices. This can be anticipated by using fast-growing wood species. One type of fast-growing wood which is very abundantly available in NTB is sengon wood (Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) I.C. Nielsen). However, sengon wood has low durability so it is easily attacked by wood-destroying organisms. This condition can be overcome by making efforts to prevent wood damage in the form of preservation. This study aims to determine the wettability and treatability properties of sengon wood. The results of this study are expected to be basic information to improve the quality of sengon wood. The wettability test was carried out by measuring the contact angle between the liquid and the sample surface using the sessile drop method and the wood durability testing was carried out by measuring the retention and penetration of preservatives. The treatability test was carried out by measuring the absorption, retention, and penetration of preservatives. The results showed that the wettability of sengon is high with an equilibrium contact angle (θe) of 16.88 in the radial section and 12.51 in the tangential section. This shows that sengon wood has a good adhesion system for preservation. Treatability of sengon wood showed that the average retention and penetration are 10,21 kg/m3 and 7,33 mm. Based on the results of these measurements, sengon wood has met SNI 03-5010.1-1999 (wood preservation for housing and buildings).

The Main Mechanical Properties of New Chinese Fir Clones and Their Rapid Prediction by Near-infrared Spectroscopy

Due to rapidity and accuracy, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRs) is powerful tool to establish appropriate prediction models with an innovative method for the evaluation of wood properties. In order to reveal mechanical qualities of clonal Chinese fir woods and determine sound prediction models of mechanical properties, four main mechanical properties of six Chinese fir clones (Yang 020, Yang 061, Kaihua 3, Kaihua 13, Daba 8, Kailin 24) were evaluated by NIRs. As a result, Kaihua 13, Kailin 24 and Yang 020 showed good mechanical properties. To estimate mechanical properties with NIRs, different methods should be adopted for different properties. The average spectra of radial section and tangential section combined with multiple scattering correction (MSC) and Savitzky-Golay (S-G) smoothing methods were used to predict the modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE). By adopting spectra of cross section and taking MSC and S-G smoothing methods for pretreatment, the models of compressive strength parallel to grain could deliver the best results. For wood hardness, the models established with average spectra of three sections and first derivative method were preferred. The correlation coefficients of the prediction models were between 0.84 and 0.90, and those of calibration models were between 0.75 and 0.96.

Thermal properties of wood measured by the hot-disk method: comparison with thermal properties measured by the steady-state method

The hot-disk method is a transient method for the measurement of thermal properties. This method can measure both the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity in a short time for isotropic materials. To establish a method for measuring the thermal properties of wood by the hot-disk method, the relationship between the thermal properties of wood obtained by the hot-disk method and those obtained by the steady-state method was investigated. The thermal properties were measured by the hot-disk method using small pieces of kiri (Paulownia tomentosa), sugi (Cryptomeria japonica), hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), yachidamo (Fraxinus mandshurica), and buna (Fagus crenata) when the hot-disk sensor was in contact with the cross section, radial section, and tangential section. The thermal conductivities in the longitudinal, radial, and tangential directions were also measured by the comparison method using the same specimen. The thermal properties obtained by the hot-disk method and the steady-state method were compared, based on the assumption that the thermal diffusivity measured by the hot-disk method was the geometric mean of that in the two main directions in the plane of the sensor, and the thermal conductivity measured by the hot-disk method was a power of that in three main directions. As a result, the thermal conductivity obtained by the hot-disk method was 10–20% higher than that obtained by the steady-state method; the thermal diffusivity measured by the hot-disk method was equal to that obtained by the steady-state method on average, while in the former thermal diffusivity varied widely. These results were found to be explainable in terms of the Dufour effect, which is the heat flow induced by the mass flow caused by the heating of the sensor, and the existing findings on the time dependence of the sensitivity coefficient in the hot-disk method. The present study proposed two methods for calculating the thermal properties of wood from the hot-disk method were proposed, and it was found that the errors between the obtained thermal properties and those obtained by the steady-state method differed depending on the calculation method.

Colorimetry of Acacia mangium wood from plantations in northeast Brazil

The aim of this study was to evaluate color characteristics in wood samples from Acacia mangium from a homogeneous plantation in Bahia state, northeast Brazil, and also analyze the influence of anatomical section and radial position in the trunk on color response to contribute to information for the best use of the wood, such as, for example, the optimization of the performance of the pieces in sawmill through the most acceptable aesthetic form by the final consumer. Six trees with age of 14 years were cut. The species was identified by anatomical analysis at the Laboratory of Wood Anatomy of the Federal University of Paraná, comparing the sample collected with the authenticated material. A disc from the base of each tree was divided into six samples oriented in anatomical sections (transversal, radial and tangential), with dimensions of 20 × 20 × 30mm, named near pith, intermediate and near bark. A total of 36 samples were evaluated, 12 from each position. The colorimetric evaluation was performed with a CM-5 spectrophotometer. Data on lightness, green-red and blue-yellow chromatic coordinates were obtained, and values of saturation and hue angle were calculated. Acacia wood from planted forest is classified as olive color. Color parameters were influenced by anatomical section and radial position in the trunk, being found 44 for the transversal section, 55 for the tangential section and 57 in the radial for luminosity. Transversal sections had lower values in comparison to longitudinal surfaces and radial sections had higher luminosity than tangential sections. The near bark region presented lower values in most colorimetric parameters, except hue angle, in comparison with the intermediate and near pith regions, which was around 70 in the different positions of the wood.

Segmentation of rays in wood microscopy images using the U-net model

Rays are an important anatomical feature in tree species identification. They are found in certain proportions in trees, which vary for each tree. In this study, the U-Net model is adopted for the first time to detect wood rays. A dataset is created with images taken from the wood database. The resolution of microscopic wood images in tangential section is 640×400. The input image for training is divided into 32×32 image blocks. Each pixel in the dataset is labeled as belonging to the ray or the background. Then, the dataset is increased by applying scale, rotation, salt-and-pepper noise, circular mean filter, and gauss filter. The U-Net network created for ray segmentation is trained using the Adam optimization algorithm. The experimental results show that the ray segmentation accuracy in testing is 96.3%.

Influence of cooling rate on the physical properties, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of heat-treated rubberwood

This study aimed to reduce the loss of mechanical strength in heat-treated rubberwood by rapid cooling. Heat-treated rubberwood specimens were prepared by controlling their cooling rate during the cooling phase of the heat treatment. The effects of cooling rate on the physical properties, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of heat-treated rubberwood were evaluated. Results indicated that cooling rate significantly influenced mass loss (ML). ML in heat-treated rubberwood cooled at 6 °C min−1 decreased by 23% relative to that in heat-treated rubberwood subjected to natural cooling. Compared with the heat-treated rubberwood subjected to natural cooling, the heat-treated rubberwood that was cooled at 4.5 °C min−1 increased in modulus of rupture (MOR), surface hardness, and screw withdrawal strength (tangential section) by 26, 8, and 16%, respectively. The cool rates exerted less effects on the dimensional stability, surface color, modulus of elasticity (MOE), compressive strength parallel to grain (CS), and screw withdrawal strength (radial section) of the heat-treated rubberwood. The application of rapid cooling to wood heat treatment could efficiently shortened the heat treatment period, thus increasing productivity.

The effect of bamboo surface roughness of cutting parameters on the bamboo milling

The surface roughness of bamboo is a factor that determines the processing quality. The effects of spindle speed, feed speed, and cutting depth on the surface roughness of bamboo were studied using the orthogonal design test method. The results were analyzed using range analysis, main effect analysis, interaction analysis, and variance analysis to determine the effect of cutting parameters on the surface roughness of bamboo. The feed speed had a greater effect on the surface roughness of the bamboo in the tangential section; the spindle speed had a greater impact on the surface roughness of the bamboo in the cross section. The cutting depth had a greater impact on the surface roughness of the bamboo in the radial section. For the surface roughness on the tangential, cross, and radial sections of the bamboo, there was a relationship with the cutting parameters. A mathematical model for the analysis of surface roughness was established by response surface method. Also, contour and surface plots based on regression models showed the correlation between surface roughness and all possible pairwise combinations of three cutting parameter variables. The cutting technology with the best surface quality was determined by optimization analysis.

Effect of heat treatment on bonding performance of poplar via an insight into dynamic wettability and surface strength transition from outer to inner layers

Heat treatment (HT) is thought to degrade wood surface wettability and cause gluing problems; this study focused on wettability and surface strength of the surface layer on heat-treated wood. The outer and inner surfaces formed by removing the 1-, 2- and 3-mm surface layers of heat-treated poplar on the tangential section were investigated. Dynamic wetting was analyzed according to the sessile drop method. The bonding failure models on different surfaces were also discussed based on both images of macro- and microscopic fracture interfaces. Using Fourier-transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR), the cell wall chemistry on both outer and inner surfaces were analyzed. The results showed that the bonding strength of the outer surface was mainly affected by wettability, whereas the surface strength became the key factor for the inner layers. The removal of the first 1 mm of the surface layer enhanced the wetting process and transferred the failure mode from the glue line to the wood itself. FT-NIR revealed that the intensity of the thermal degradation on inner layers was alleviated with the removal depth; wettability and surface strength were enhanced compared with the outer surface. Surface abrasion and hardness declined, decreasing the surface strength and bonding capacity. This study indicates that the bonding of heat-treated wood is truly affected by the surface strength of the inner layers, in addition to the wettability on the outer surface.

A Comparison of the Loading Direction for Bending Strength with Different Wood Measurement Surfaces Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Wood is widely used throughout society for building resources and paper. To further expand wood’s use in the wood industry, we tested the bending strength properties of wood and certified its internal quality by using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). In this study, the relationship between bending strength and loading direction was compared by changing the light acquisition point of wood surfaces to elucidate the anisotropy of the wood using NIRS. The two loading directions were defined by using a bending test as the radial section and the tangential section. Two light acquisition points with NIRS were also defined by a bending test as the loading position (the compression surface) and the opposite surface (the tensile surface), and a comparison was made between the prediction accuracy of the wood’s mechanical strength properties obtained via a bending test using two pieces of light acquisition data. The strength properties of the wood bending tests were the elastic modulus in bending (Eb), the bending strength (Fb) and density (DEN). Cryptomeria japonica was prepared and cut into a final size of 20 mm × 20 mm × 320 mm. Near-infrared (NIR) spectra were obtained from the compression force side and the tensile force side (calculating these averages), and a partial-least-squares regression (PLSR) was performed for the regression analysis. In the NIR measurement position, the best calibration results of the PLSR were the averaged data between the side undergoing the compression force and that undergoing the tensile force. Comparing the two loading directions, the result for the radial section was slightly superior to that of the tangential section. The radial section showed a good relationship between the spectra acquisition position and the arrangement of the wood’s structure. The estimation accuracy of bending strength properties differed depending on the location where the NIR spectra acquisition was performed.