Transverse swelling behavior of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) revealed by the replica method

Transverse swelling and its anisotropy in hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) in several kinds of organic liquids and in water were investigated by means the replica method. There was more cross-sectional swelling of cell walls and cell wall thickness in earlywood than in latewood. Marked swelling toward cell lumens was observed in wood swollen in liquids that had higher swelling potentials than water. This suggests that the swelling of cell walls in these liquids is much greater than the external swelling. Feret's diameters of the cell lumens were reduced by swelling in all the observed cases except in the tangential direction of earlywood, suggesting that cell walls swell to a much less extent in width than in thickness. Deformation of cell shapes caused by the tensile force from the latewood were observed in the earlywood and in the transitional region from earlywood to latewood. When swollen in water, transverse swelling anisotropy caused only by the swelling in cell wall thickness were calculated to be 1.2 for the whole region over an annual ring and 1.4 for the earlywood. These values could not account for the external swelling anisotropy of 2.1. Considering obvious deformations of cell shapes in the earlywood and in the transitional region, we conclude that the interaction between earlywood and latewood is one of the prime factors contributing to the transverse swelling anisotropy of coniferous wood.Part of this report was presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Nagoya, April 1998     

Variation of measured cross-sectional cell dimensions and calculated water vapor permeability across a single growth ring of spruce wood

A statistical study of the cell dimensions in a growth ring of spruce along the radial and tangential directions is performed. The data are used to study the variation of the cell vapor permeability in the growth ring. Studying cell rows within one growth ring, the frequency distributions of the cell wall thickness in the radial direction and of the lumen dimension in the tangential direction are found to be both unimodal. In contrast, the frequency distributions of these dimensions in the other directions are bimodal, where the different modes can be attributed to earlywood and latewood. Analysis of the bimodal distributions results in the determination of threshold values of cell wall thickness and the lumen dimension for earlywood and latewood tracheids. The cell dimensions are used to predict cell porosity and water vapor permeability distribution within a growth ring. The bimodal frequency distributions of the tangential cell wall thickness and the radial lumen dimension provide an explanation for the observed bimodal frequency distribution of the cell water vapor permeability both in radial and in tangential directions. Contrary to measured macroscopic vapor permeability results, the tracheid geometry results in lower cell vapor permeability in radial than in tangential direction. This confirms that rays play an important role in the vapor permeability of wood, as they can be considered as pathways for vapor transport in radial direction. The dataset analyzed in this paper leads to a set of parameters characterizing the earlywood and latewood cell dimensions. Such characterization can be used, for example, for producing synthetic data for computational modeling studies.     

Three mechanisms affecting the mechanical properties of spruce wood dried at high temperatures

Wood drying experiments are conducted in which the temperature and the drying rate are controlled independently. In relationship to drying processes, at least three mechanisms are believed to contribute to the properties of dried wood. However, only two of these are found to affect the properties of macroscopic specimens, the third mechanism being observable in microtomed earlywood sections, and possibly in specimens loaded in the radial direction. Degradation of structural components and irreversible hydrogen bonding (hornification) are found to contribute to both the hygroscopicity and the mechanical properties of macroscopic wood specimens. Mass loss from thermal degradation occurs predominantly in slow high-temperature drying processes. Irreversible hydrogen bonding takes place in high-temperature drying, in particular with high ultimate dryness. Regarding the effect on strength and stiffness, mass loss and hornification appear to compete. The third identified mechanism, microscopic cell wall damage caused by incompatible drying shrinkage of cell wall elements, does not seem to affect the mechanical properties of macroscopic wood specimens. Consequently, slow high-temperature drying processes do not provide much benefit regarding the mechanical behavior of dried wood. The reasons for this are discussed.     

Characterisation of pore size distributions in variously dried Pinus radiata: analysis by thermoporosimetry

The pore size distribution and networks within the wood cell wall tend to decrease on drying wood from its green state having implications for water ingress and further processing such as in preservative treatment. Thermoporosity measurements using differential scanning calorimetry have been applied to determine the pore size distribution of green Pinus radiata wood and how well this pore network is retained on supercritical fluid (SCF) dewatering compared with kiln drying. Generally, in green sapwood, the majority of bound water was distributed in pore sizes less than 50 nm diameter with only a small proportion present in pore sizes between 50 and 200 nm. On SCF dewatering, most bound water was found to reside in pore sizes <20 nm, consistent with dewatered wood being at fibre saturation point (FSP). Generally, on rewetting dewatered, kiln- or oven-dried wood, proportionately less bound water was present compared with green wood, consistent with reduced pore sizes and network accessibility for water ingress. Furthermore, on rewetting, there were distinctions between earlywood and latewood (LW) sections with the LW sections having a statistically greater proportion of water occupying smaller-sized pores (<20 nm). There was also greater variability of pore size distributions on sample rewetting, inferring drying does not uniformly reduce pore size volumes. Analysis suggests the extent of variability was generally less in the rewetted dewatered wood sample compared to kiln- or oven-dried samples, which may be a consequence of SCF drying only to FSP.     

Crack formation due to weathering of radial and tangential sections of pine and spruce

The development of cracks and changes in appearance have been investigated on radial and tangential sections of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and spruce (Picea abies Karst.) after exposure outdoors for 61 months. The degradation of the sections has also been studied at the micro-level. The annual ring orientation was the most important factor affecting crack development on weathering. After 61 months of outdoor exposure, the tangential sections of spruce had 1.7-2.2 times greater mean total crack length per area unit than the corresponding radial sections. In pine, the total crack length per area unit on the tangential sections was 2.2-2.6 times greater than that on the radial sections. Tangential and radial sections show the same colour change as a result of weathering. Tangential sections have more and deeper cracks than radial surfaces. The cracks on the tangential sections occur frequently in both earlywood and latewood. On radial sections, cracks occur primarily at the annual ring borders, but to a certain extent also in the earlywood. Decomposition of the cell wall takes place in both radial and tangential cell walls, and cracks tend to follow the fibril orientation in the S2-layer of the cell wall. The radial cell wall of the earlywood has a large number of pits which are degraded at an early stage.     

Morphological changes in sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) wood after treatment with the ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride

We investigated morphological changes in wood tissues of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) resulting from treatment with the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C2mim][Cl]), which dissolves cellulose. Treatment with [C2mim][Cl] caused dissociation and distortion of tracheids in latewood, but not in earlywood. This difference was due to the difference in swelling behavior of the cell wall between earlywood and latewood. Many pit membranes in bordered pits were broken by treatment with [C2mim][Cl]. In addition, some chemical changes in wood components, such as cellulose and lignin, occurred before significant disruption or destruction of the cell wall. Our results show that the reaction of wood liquefaction by [C2mim][Cl] treatment is not homogeneous, both from chemical and morphological viewpoints.     

Quantitative analysis of lignin using an UV microscopic image analyser. variation within one growth increment

Summary The variation of the lignin content within one growth increment of Abies sachalinensis was investigated with the aid of an ultraviolet microscopic image analyser. The lignin content was determined continuously in each cell within a growth increment. The direct photometric scanning method of UV image is believed to give accurate results for determination of the lignin content of the cell wall, since it contains fewer assumptions. The lignin content of the earlywood was higher than that of latewood in adult wood as same as the others. It was high, however, in the terminal zone of the latewood. The trends of the juvenile wood were quite different from those of the adult wood. The lignin content increased from earlywood to latewood.This paper was presented at the Wood Anatomy Congress of IAWA, Aug. 27, 1979, Amsterdam. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Prof. Dr. J. Bauch for helpful advice     

纳米压痕技术测量管胞次生壁S2层的纵向弹性模量和硬度

重点研究和详细介绍了利用纳米压痕技术测试管胞次生壁S2 层纵向弹性模量以及硬度的实验技术 ,并测试了人工林杉木早晚材管胞S2 层的纵向弹性模量和硬度。结果表明 :杉木晚材管胞S2 层的平均纵向硬度为0 390GPa ,弹性模量的平均值为 1 4 84 4GPa ;早材管胞S2 层的硬度和模量则小于晚材 ,平均值分别为 0 30 6GPa和9 82 3GPa。     

Crack formation due to weathering of radial and tangential sections of pine and spruce

Abstract

The development of cracks and changes in appearance have been investigated on radial and tangential sections of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and spruce (Picea abies Karst.) after exposure outdoors for 61 months. The degradation of the sections has also been studied at the micro-level. The annual ring orientation was the most important factor affecting crack development on weathering. After 61 months of outdoor exposure, the tangential sections of spruce had 1.7–2.2 times greater mean total crack length per area unit than the corresponding radial sections. In pine, the total crack length per area unit on the tangential sections was 2.2–2.6 times greater than that on the radial sections. Tangential and radial sections show the same colour change as a result of weathering. Tangential sections have more and deeper cracks than radial surfaces. The cracks on the tangential sections occur frequently in both earlywood and latewood. On radial sections, cracks occur primarily at the annual ring borders, but to a certain extent also in the earlywood. Decomposition of the cell wall takes place in both radial and tangential cell walls, and cracks tend to follow the fibril orientation in the S2-layer of the cell wall. The radial cell wall of the earlywood has a large number of pits which are degraded at an early stage.     

Bole water content shows little seasonal variation in century-old Douglas-fir trees

Purportedly, large Douglas-fir trees in the American Pacific Northwest use water stored in bole tissues to ameliorate the effects of seasonal summer drought, the water content of bole tissues being drawn down over the summer months and replenished during the winter. Continuous monitoring of bole relative water content (RWC) in two 110-120-year-old Douglas-fir trees with ThetaProbe impedance devices provided an integrated measure of phloem-sapwood water content over 4 years. Seasonal changes in RWC closely tracked cambial activity and wood formation, but lagged changes in soil water content by 2-3 months. The RWC in the combined phloem and sapwood markedly increased during earlywood production in the late spring and early summer to maximum values of 64-77% as plant available soil water (ASW) decreased by approximately 60%. With transition and latewood formation, RWC decreased to minimum values of 59-72%, even as ASW increased in the fall. The difference between minimum RWC in the fall and maximum RWC in midsummer was only approximately 5%. Seasonal changes in bole RWC corresponded to cambial phenology, although decreasing AWS appeared to trigger the shift from earlywood to latewood formation.     

Effect of moisture content on the longitudinal tensile creep behavior of wood

In our previous report, we investigated the effect of the microfibril angle (MFA) in the middle layer of the secondary wall (S₂) on the longitudinal creep behavior of a thin homogeneous earlywood specimen sugi. In the present study, we investigated the role of moisture on the tensile creep behavior of wood. We discuss the creep behavior of the wood cell wall from the viewpoint of the composite structure of the cell wall and the properties of the constituent materials. A microtomed thin specimen of earlywood of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D.Don) was used for the longitudinal tensile creep test. Creep tests were conducted at three moisture stages (oven-dry, air-dry, fiber saturation point) over a broad range of MFA. Results showed that the longitudinal tensile creep behavior was highly dependent on both the moisture content and the MFA. With a small MFA, the variation in the creep function among the three moisture states was very small. For a large MFA, the variation in the creep function was larger. At low moisture contents, the magnitude of the creep function was very small, while at high moisture content, it was very large except for the case of specimens with very small MFA. Those results show that the longitudinal tensile creep behavior was directly affected by the fine composite structure and the internal properties of the cell wall constituents.     

A model of anisotropic swelling and shrinking process of wood

To elucidate the origin of the shrinking anisotropy of wood during the drying process, as well as to begin to gain an understanding of the interaction between the moisture and the cell wall components, the shrinking process of a single wood fiber regarding water desorption was simulated by using an analytical model which was developed in the previous report (Part 1). Resulting data were compared with the experimental ones in this paper. The following conclusions were obtained: (1) The matrix substance, as a skeleton in the secondary wall, tends to shrink isotropically. However, the cellulose microfibrils, as a rigid framework of the cell wall, almost did not shrink at all due to the water desorption. As result, wood shrinks anisotropically during a drying process. The microfibril angle in the S2 layer is one of the most important factors related to the degree of shrinking anisotropy of the wood while drying. (2) According to the simulation, the expansive strain caused in the matrix skeleton by the water sorption increases by 15% (= 150,000 micro-strains) from the oven-dried condition to the green condition. Based on this value, the moisture content at the fiber saturation point is calculated to be about 35%, which is close to the experimentally obtained one. These results give quantitative evidences that the hygroexpansion of the wood cell wall is controlled by the mechanism of the reinforced matrix hypothesis. Received: 28 July 1998     

木材内部水分扩散特性研究现状及发展趋势

扩散是水分在木材内部移动的一种重要途径。文中围绕木材内部水分的扩散机理、测试方法及其影响因素3个方面阐述水分扩散的驱动力类型及其在木材内部的基本移动路径,总结稳态和非稳态水分扩散系数的测试及计算方法;综述树种、早/晚材、心/边材、幼龄/成熟材等因素对水分扩散特性的影响机制;归纳木材含水率、温度等因素对木材内部水分扩散的作用规律;结合国内外关于水分扩散的研究现状,指出一些亟待解决的问题,以期为木材干燥、木结构建筑、木质包装材料的研究与应用提供参考。     

日本落叶松无性系木材性质的遗传变异

对10个10年生日本落叶松无性系的木材基本密度、管胞参数进行了测定.结果表明:木材基本密度,早、晚材管胞宽度和早材长宽比无性系间差异显著;木材基本密度,早、晚材管胞长度,早晚材管胞宽度和早晚材长宽比径向变异模式相似,即从髓心向外以曲线形式不断增加,有时亦有起伏;早材从髓心向外以近似直线的形式缓慢增加,晚材从髓心向外以曲线形式增加,初期增加幅度较大,到一定年龄后趋于水平变化并略有波动;材质性状与树木年轮间的关系以对数方程、幂函数方程、指数方程拟合效果较好;除了晚材壁腔比和早材壁厚外,其它木材性质的重复力均在0.5以上,受中度或中度以上的遗传制约,按照20%的选择率,长宽比和晚材管胞长能获得较高的遗传增益.     

Effects of desiccation on the physiology and biochemistry of Quercus alba acorns

Seeds that lose viability when dried to a water content of less than 12% are said to be recalcitrant. We subjected acorns of Quercus alba L., a species with recalcitrant seeds, to desiccation to determine the effects of drying on lipids, proteins and carbohydrates of the embryonic axis and cotyledon tissues. Samples of fresh seed and seed dried for selected intervals were analyzed for water content and germination, and for lipids, proteins and carbohydrates by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Carbohydrates were further analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). The FT-IR analysis revealed that membrane lipid structure initially exhibited reversible shifts between gel and liquid crystalline phases in response to drying and rehydration; however, reversibility declined as viability was lost. Changes in carbohydrate concentration were observed based on peak height comparisons; sucrose concentration in the embryonic axis increased dramatically after 5 days of drying. The most sensitive indicator of desiccation damage was the irreversible change in protein secondary structure in embryonic axes and cotyledon tissue. These changes were illustrated by shifts in amide absorbance near 1650 cm(-1). Gas chromatography indicated an abundance of sucrose in both the embryonic axes and the cotyledon tissue. Although sucrose concentrations in these tissues were initially similar, sucrose concentration in the embryonic axes became significantly greater than in the cotyledons as the acorns dried. We hypothesize that, in drying acorns, increased concentration of sucrose does not prevent loss of viability, but acts as a glycoprotectant against cell collapse and cell wall membrane damage as water stress increases.     

Relationships of climate and cell features in stems and roots of black spruce and balsam fir

? The anatomical differences of mature black spruces and balsam firs were examined at stem and root level in order to characterize their wood properties at cellular level and link these differences to climate.

? Anatomical variability of these species was evaluated in relation to climate data gathered from 2001 to 2004 during the cell enlargement (CE) and wall thickening and lignification (WTL) phases. Lumen area, single cell wall thickness and total tracheid radial diameter were analyzed and regrouped into earlywood and latewood.

? Results from a principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that both first eigenvectors account for 82% and 90% of total variance for CE and WTL respectively. These component factors revealed that precipitation, humidity and number of days with precipitation significantly influence the lumen area (p = 0.0168) and radial cell diameter (p = 0.0222) in earlywood. Significant differences were registered between species and tree parts (stem and root) for the lumen area, radial cell diameter and cell wall thickness in both earlywood and latewood.

? In our study, black spruce exhibited smaller tracheid size in both stem and roots compared to balsam fir. Furthermore, the lower amount of tracheids produced during the growing season and higher proportion of latewood ensure a higher wood density of black spruce. The influence of temperature on earlywood formation is significant, whereas no influence was observed on latewood.

     

Advantages of prefreezing for reducing shrinkage-related degrade in eucalypts: General considerations and review of the literature

Summary Difficulties associated with the drying of ash eucalypts including collapse and internal checking, are discussed briefly. Prefreezing is one method that has been used successfully as a pretreatment for the drying of both hardwoods and softwoods from temperate and tropical regions.Prefreezing has produced marked reductions in shrinkage, collapse and drying degrade of the heartwood in the following species: California redwood, black walnut, black cherry, tanoak, toon, bamboo, and eucalypts. Little or no collapse reduction has been observed in New Zealand red beech, Pacific madrone, white birch, sitka spruce, and white ash. Limited response has been observed for numerous other species notably red oak and white oak.Reduced drying time in response to prefreezing has been observed in jarrah, karri, black walnut, Asian oak, toon, and California redwood; in Pacific madrone and tanoak the drying time increased. Not all species which respond with a reduction in shrinkage show reduced drying rates.Prefreezing wood at -20°C appears to be the most practicable temperature, although some species respond better at lower temperatures. However, in all cases, it is critical to ensure that the wood freezes and remains frozen for a number of hours. Indications are that the effect is retained for days to weeks and that the length of time of freezing need not exceed 12–24 hours.A number of explanations have been put forward to explain the behaviour of prefrozen wood. It is suggested that the main mechanism responsible for reduced shrinkage is due to the migration of moisture from the cell wall onto frozen lumen water. The moisture loss from the cell wall produces a cold shrinkage; water to ice transformation leads to an expansion of liquid water in the lumen, thus imparting a compressive stress to the cell wall, which together with the moisture loss, make the cell more rigid, and therefore likely to shrink less. There is some evidence that certain types of wood extractives migrate into the cell wall during freezing and may play a role in the reinforcement of the wall. Reduced shrinkage after prefreezing has also been attributed to a reduction of the plasticising effect of wood extractives in wood dried at higher temperatures and low humidities; this effect does not occur at low temperatures.Many suggestions and discussion from Dr. W. E. Hillis are gratefully acknowledged     

Distribution of structure and lignin within growth rings of Norway spruce

A radial core from a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) estimated to be about 107 years old was cut from a board and was analyzed for density and microfibril angle (MFA). Furthermore, cell geometry, wall thickness and lignin distribution were analyzed on three selected growth rings in detail. Intra-ring differences in the density profiles are also true for cell wall thicknesses as well as radial and tangential lumen diameters. A higher MFA was found for earlywood with a slow decrease toward the latewood region. The lignin was found to remain rather constant throughout the growth rings, which suggests a constant chemical composition of the cell wall material within the growth ring. From the recorded datasets on a cellular level, it can be concluded that the main adaptation regarding structure–property relationships toward the optimization of water transport and mechanical stability is mainly achieved at the cell level.     

Modeling of cell wall drying stresses in wood

All applications of wood involve drying the material from the green state. The cell wall may be viewed as a laminate consisting of different layers. The layers have different orientations and therefore different moisture expansion characteristics. As a result, stresses will develop in the layers due to drying. Micromechanical models for fibre composite materials were used in combination with a laminate analogy in order to calculate these drying stresses in the cell wall layers S1, S2 and S3. Resulting stresses were very high. In reality viscoelastic effects will significantly reduce stresses at high moisture content. However, at lower moisture content irreversible cell wall damage is likely to form as a result of the stresses computed by the model. Received 20 October 1998     

Predicting anisotropic shringkage of softwood Part 1: Theories

 The phenomenon of wood shrinkage by losing moisture can be analysed at four levels: molecular, ultrastructural, microstructural and macrostructural levels. To predict the shrinkage of wood cells, the model of Barber and Meylan is modified in the current work to reflect combined effects of shrinkage of the cell wall, changes of the lumen shape and effects of rays and bordered pits. Where a piece of wood contains a multi-layer of earlywood and latewood or multi-layer of normal and defect wood with variable properties, a model is proposed to relate the total, measurable shrinkage to the shrinkage of each layer. The model can be applied to a specimen with asymmetric properties through the thickness. In such a board, bow (or crook), cup and twist are often observed. The modified and proposed models involve several mechanical properties of the cell wall which are difficult to measure. These properties vary with wood types, such as earlywood, late wood, compression wood, or wood with spiral grain. However, an alternative method may be used to obtain these properties from experimentally measured shrinkage data, and this method will be presented in a subsequent paper. Received 25 January 1999