End grain water absorption and redistribution in slow-grown and fast-grown Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) heartwood and sapwood

Abstract

Wood is susceptible to decay by rot fungi if it is exposed to high-moisture contents during long periods of time and it is therefore important to limit the duration of such periods. Critical points in outdoor wood structures are, for example, end grain surfaces in joints where water can get trapped after a rain. It is therefore of interest to study both absorption and redistribution of moisture in wood. This paper presents moisture content profiles during end grain water absorption and redistribution in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) measured by computed tomography with the specimens in individual climate boxes. Heartwood and sapwood of two provenances (slow-grown and fast-grown wood) were included. No major differences were seen between the water uptake of the slow-grown and the fast-grown wood since the densities were similar despite of the large difference in growth ring width. However, for the sapwood specimens, the moisture content was higher further into the specimens than for the heartwood specimens in agreement with previous studies. For the slow-grown wood, the redistribution was also generally more rapid for the sapwood specimens than for the heartwood specimens.     

Methods for determination of duration of surface moisture and presence of water in gaps in wood joints

If water stays on wood surfaces or is trapped in gaps, the wood is supplied with water for a long period of time and high local moisture contents are reached. This can lead to decay by rot fungi, and it is therefore important to avoid such water traps in order to limit the decay rate. This paper presents two methods: one for determination of duration of surface moisture on wood surfaces and one for determination of duration of water trapped in gaps in wood joints. Both these methods are based on electrical conductance measurements that are commonly used to measure moisture content of wood. Both sensor types consist of insulating tubing, electrically conductive adhesive and copper wire. The sensors monitor the presence of moisture on the actual material surface, and because of their small size, they do not influence the amount and duration of moisture that stays on the surface or in the gap.     

低循环风速下木材表层水分蒸发的试验研究

木材干燥过程中,介质循环速度是一个影响木材干燥的重要工艺参数.在木材各含水率阶段,通过试验分析研究不同介质循环速度对木材干燥速度的影响.结果表明,介质循环速度对干燥速度的影响显著,但其影响随木材含水率（MC）的降低而减弱.在低介质循环速度条件下,试件MC大于45％时,表现为木材干燥速度和木材含水率偏差（△MC）随循环风速的增加而增加,呈显著正相关关系;试件MC介于35％ ～ 45％之间时,正相关关系存在但不显著;试件MC小于35％时,干燥室内循环风速的大小不影响木材的干燥速度和木材含水率偏差（△MC）.对试件表层含水率分析,试件表层含水率大于25％时,试件表面循环风速对试件表层含水率的影响显著;试件表层含水率小于25％时,试件表面循环风速对试件表层含水率的影响很小,不同循环风速下试件表层含水率基本一样.     

Nonisothermal moisture movement in wood

In order to analyze the effect of temperature gradient on moisture movement during highly intensive drying, such as microwave-vacuum drying, the profile of the temperature and moisture content in sealed wood whose opposite faces were subjected to temperature gradient for a short time was measured. The ratio of the moisture content (MC) gradient to the temperature gradient (dM/dT) was calculated and the factors influencing moisture movement under nonisothermal conditions were discussed. The results indicate that moisture moved in wood from the warm surface to the cold one even if opposite faces of the sealed wood assembly were exposed continuously to different but constant temperatures for a short period. The moisture content on the cold surface was higher than that on the warm surface. The moisture content gradient opposite to the temperature gradient was established, and the dM/dT was below 0.9%/°C. The temperature in the sample and the distance from the hot surface of the sample was strongly linearly correlated. With an increase in temperature, initial moisture content and experimental time, the dM/dT was significantly increased. __________ Translated from Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2005, 27(2): 96–100 [译自: 北京林业大学学报, 2005, 27(2): 96–100]     

Natural weathering of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood treated with epoxidized linseed oil and methyltriethoxysilane

In this study, the effect of natural weathering on the performance of Scots pine sapwood treated with epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) was investigated by measuring water uptake, colour, check propagation and chemical changes. Boards were impregnated in a pilot-scale autoclave under various conditions. After the treatments, pairs of samples were cut from the treated boards and exposed at 45° angle facing south for a long-term test of natural weathering above ground in Uppsala (Sweden). The effect of solar radiation and humidity on the colour changes, water uptake, check propagation and chemical alterations was assessed during 20 months of exposure. The obtained results can serve as indication for the viability of the treatments. Samples impregnated with low retentions of ELO showed similar performance regarding check propagation and moisture uptake as samples with higher retentions. No significant difference between these samples was found regarding colour change which is mainly caused by blue stain fungi on the surface. In opposite, samples treated with MTES exhibited no consistent water uptake and check propagation unproportioned to the applied retentions. The spectra of ELO- and MTES-treated wood after weathering showed a significant decrease of the peak at 1510 cm^?1 indicating delignification of wood surface caused by weathering.     

Digital image analysis of radial shrinkage of fresh spruce (Picea abies L.) wood

Contact-free digital image analysis was performed of the radial shrinkage of fresh, fully saturated small spruce wood beams. An experimental test set-up was developed to ensure constant distance from the charge-coupled device camera to the sample surface as well as constant climate and light conditions during the whole experiment. Dimensional changes were observed immediately after the drying process began. An unexpected distinct effect could be observed which could not be explained by drying surface layers only. After a fast initial radial shrinkage a slowing down of the dimensional changes occurred at high mean moisture contents. A complete interruption of any dimensional changes followed. Finally, a recovery from shrinkage was even observed. It is assumed that strong negative pressure occurred in the fully saturated capillaries owing to dehydration which led to additional dimensional changes. As a consequence, the break of the water column and aeration in these capillaries finally resulted in a recovery period in the shrinkage rate due to the pressure release. After this effect, the dehydration was characterized by a phase of fast and almost linear shrinkage due to drying surface layers. Finally, the shrinkage slowed down to zero when reaching equilibrium moisture content.     

干燥过程中木材含水率神经网络预测模型

将人工神经网络应用于木材干燥控制研究中,建立可用于木材含水率预测的时延神经网络基准模型,并给出其网络辨识结构。通过3个树种的实际干燥数据对所建立的网络模型进行训练和验证,仿真结果表明预测模型是可行而有效的,具有较好的动态跟踪能力和预报特性,实现了木材干燥基准的数学模型化,对进一步优化木材干燥基准实施与控制具有重要的指导意义和应用价值。     

Thermal diffusion in Masson pine wood

In order to analyze the effects of the temperature gradient on moisture movement during the highly intensive microwave-vacuum drying, thermal diffusion of Masson pine wood was studied. Internal distribution of temperature and moisture in Masson pine samples sealed by epoxy resin and aluminum foil was measured, the magnitude of thermal diffusion was calculated and the influencing factors of thermal diffusion were discussed. Results showed that with the transfer of moisture toward the low temperature in wood, opposite temperature and moisture gradient occurred. The initial moisture content （MC）, temperature and time are important factors affecting this process; the thermal diffusion is in proportion to wood temperature, its initial moisture and time. The temperature and distance from hot surface is strongly linearly correlated, and the relationship between MCs at different locations and distance from the hot end surface changes from logarithmically form to exponentially form with the increase in experimental time.     

Study on Wood Drying Properties under Vacuum-floating Pressure

Using Masson pine as specimens, when drying mediums are overheated steam and hot-air respectively, preheating characteristics of wood under vacuum-floating pressure drying are discussed by measurement of internal temperature field and variation of moisture content during period of preheating. The relationship between drying medium conditions and drying rate of wood reveals that, firstly, compared with process of air-drying, time needed to be preheated under vacuum-floating decreased dramatically, meanwhile, the magnitude of condensation on the surface is relatively larger. Secondly, drying rate of wood under vacuum-floating pressure increases coupled with temperature of medium, reduction of absolute pressure, and raise of fluctuation rate of pressure. The sequence of factors contribution to drying rate is listed as following: temperature of medium (t) > fluctuation rate of pressure (f)> absolute pressure (p).     

Effect of cross-sectional dimensions on bow and surface checking of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) boxed-heart square timber dried by conventional kiln drying

The effect of cross-sectional dimensions on bow and surface checking were investigated, using the boxed-heart square timber of two sugi cultivars with dimensions 80, 120, and 140 mm and length 1.9 m taken at two different heights above the ground. The smaller cross-sectional timber tended to have larger bow, less surface checking, and larger dimensional shrinkage. However, the drying defects were different between the cultivars and sampling heights, depending on the shrinkage properties of the juvenile wood and the heartwood proportion in the core part of the stem. The bow was larger in the smaller cross-sectional timber in which the longitudinal shrinkage was large in the juvenile wood. Surface checking was more prominent in larger cross-sectional timber containing sapwood in its outer part, which suggested the surface checking was induced by drying stress, owing to large moisture gradients between the heartwood and sapwood. The cross-dimensional shrinkage of the timber was larger in timber with larger tangential shrinkage.     

Studies on Measurement of Moisture Content by X-ray Scanning Method

In order to explore the feasibility of using X-ray to measure moisture content in the drying process and have a further study on the effect of precision of moisture content when scanning through different grain directions,X-ray scanning method and weighting method were used to measure average moisture content of Cunninghamia lanceolata during hot air drying.The results show that the moisture content values of two methods were very close to one another,the determination coefficients of both were highly correlated with a value over 0.99,and the absolute deviation was below 2%;when scanning along radial direction and longitudinal direction,the precisions of average moisture content were higher than that of the tangential direction,but the deviation can be negligible in the actual measurement;in the practical application,the effect of grain direction on precision of moisture content measurement could not be taken into account when using X-ray to measure the moisture distribution of wood.     

Magnetic resonance imaging used for the evaluation of water presence in wood plastic composite boards exposed to exterior conditions

Abstract

Two wood plastic composite (WPC) boards, one experimental and one commercial, were exposed to exterior conditions and evaluated non-destructively using a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit for moisture content (MC) and distribution. The experimental board was exposed in Vancouver, British Columbia, for more than 8 years, and the commercial board was exposed near Hilo, Hawaii, for 2 years. Both boards were characterized in terms of wood content, density, water uptake properties and voids content. The experimental board was additionally destructively analysed for water absorption of the WPC and MC calculated based on the wood content for verification of MRI results. MRI detected the presence of free water and its distribution in both of the WPC boards. Fibre saturation in the experimental board was found to be about 22–24%, in comparison to 25–30% present in most wood species. There was good correlation between the detection of free water by MRI and by destructive testing. Magnetic resonance images showed various major points of water entry in the WPC boards such as the support area, the cut ends, the dripping edge and the sides of the boards. For the experimental board, significant water entry also occurred at the upper exposed surface.     

酸雨对杨树木材性质的影响

受酸雨危害和未受酸雨危害的杨树木材性质的对比表明：酸雨对杨树生长和木材性质产生显著的影响。与未受危害的健康材相比,危害材的木素和戊聚糖含量相对升高３．７２％和１．４３％,而综纤维素的含量相对减少３．４５％,热水抽出热,苯－醇抽出物和１％ＮａＯＨ抽出物含量明显高于健康材。     

Experimental determination of the convective heat and mass transfer coefficients for wood drying

The knowledge of the convective heat and mass transfer coefficients is required for the characterization of the boundary conditions of the heat and mass transfer equations of a wood drying model based on water potential. A new experimental method for the determination of the convective mass transfer coefficient is presented. This method is based on the measurement of the moisture content, and indirectly the water potential, at the surface of a wood specimen at different drying times. Drying experiments were performed on red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) sapwood from nearly saturated to dry conditions at 56 °C, 52% relative humidity and air velocities of 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 m s⁻¹. The results show that the convective mass transfer coefficient is constant until the wood surface moisture content reaches about 80% and then decreases more or less gradually as the moisture content decreases further. The convective mass transfer coefficient increases with air velocity. A regression analysis shows that there is no significant improvement in considering the water potential gradient near the wood surface when the difference in water potential between the surface and the surrounding air (ψ_s − ψ_∞) is used to determine the convective mass flux at the surface. Also, ψ_s − ψ_∞ is more appropriate than the water vapour pressure difference (pv_s − pv_∞) as the responsible driving force of the moisture flux leaving the wood surface. The convective heat transfer coefficient was determined during the same experiments. A plateau is observed at high values of moisture content corresponding to the constant drying rate period. Received 27 February 1998     

白橡热压干燥材等温吸湿特性研究

以白橡热压干燥材为研究对象,利用动态水分吸附仪研究了不同热压温度干燥处理后白橡木材和未处理对照材的等温吸湿特性,并采用H-H模型拟合;分析热压干燥对木材吸湿特性的降低机理。结果表明:白橡木材等温吸湿线皆为IUPAC Ⅱ型等温吸湿线。在任意相对湿度下,热压干燥材平衡含水率均明显低于对照材,且热压温度越高,平衡含水率降低越明显。H-H模型对白橡木材等温吸湿数据表现出良好的拟合效果。单分子层和多分子层含水率降低共同作用使得热压干燥材吸湿性降低,且相对湿度越高,多分子层水的减少对吸湿性的降低作用越大。与对照材相比,热压干燥材(140、150 ℃和160 ℃)的纤维饱和点推测值分别降低8.89%、11.76%和13.62%。白橡热压干燥材吸湿性降低机理主要为游离羟基等亲水基团含量减少和细胞壁刚度增加等。     

Surface quality sensing of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) veneer products by near infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

The potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate wood moisture content (MC), surface energy characteristics and adhesive bond strength were evaluated on aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) veneer subjected to different drying times. For samples dried progressively at 103°C, the best MC prediction model was for the total MC range (0–100%) with an R² value of 0.68. However, exposure at 180°C produced surface colour changes, and the CIE L*a*b* colour parameters measuring colour changes were better estimated using the 400–900 nm spectral data than the 1100–2400 nm spectral data. Increased exposure time at 180°C resulted in lower wettability and, hence, larger contact angles, especially when ethylene glycol was used as probe solvent. Lap shear strength tests on veneers showed that adhesion by phenol formaldehyde resins was impaired by the high temperature exposure; however, the lap shear strength test had high variability so there was not always a clear relationship between contact angle and lap shear strength test.     

Water sorption in coated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) logs and influence of incipient decay

Abstract

Scots pine log specimens were given three different surface treatments and two different orientations of large cracks, and subjected to cyclic wetting and drying. Individual fitting of a mechanistic growth model was used to study the shape of absorption and accumulation curves and the final drying curve. Two parameters from this model (increase/decrease rate and maximum/minimum weight gain) were used for statistical analysis. The results indicate that wood tar results in less accumulated moisture over time than solvent-borne or water-borne coating or no treatment at all. An incipient attack by a white-rot fungus on parts of the material during storage affected water uptake greatly, often overriding surface treatment.     

Impregnation of Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) wood by hydrophobic oil and dispersion patterns in different tissues

Wood from Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) is biologicallydegraded in exposed conditions. It also has anatomical featuresthat make it difficult to impregnate with preservatives by currentlyavailable industrial processes. In the study reported here,we used the new Linotech process to impregnate Norway sprucewood with hydrophobic linseed oil and then quantified its uptakeand dispersal in anatomically distinct wood tissues. We alsoinvestigated the effects of the wood moisture content on theresults of the impregnation. Samples (500 x 25 x 25 mm) weretaken from 15 trees in a coniferous forest in northern Sweden(64° 10' N, 160–320 m a.s.l.). The parameters forthe Linotech process were 2–3 h treatment time at 0.8–1.4MPa and 60–140°C. To determine the level of uptake,the linseed oil was extracted from the impregnated wood usingmethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether. The uptake was quantitatively analysedby comparing X-ray microdensitometry values obtained followingimpregnation both before and after oil removal. In earlywood,initial moisture content had an obvious effect on the impregnationresult. Six times more oil was taken up when the moisture contentwas greater than ~150 per cent than when it was less than 30per cent. Theoretical calculations, based on density levels,suggest that the water-filled porosity of the wood (water volumedivided by porosity volume) was positively correlated with thelinseed oil uptake, and more strongly correlated in earlywoodthan in latewood. There were also significant differences inuptake between different wood tissues; heartwood/mature woodand heartwood/juvenile wood showed 10–20 per cent weightincreases due to linseed oil uptake, compared with 30–50per cent in sapwood/mature wood. Examination by scanning electronmicroscopy confirmed these uptake patterns. The moisture contentafter impregnation was about 5 per cent, irrespective of theLinotech process parameters, tissue type and initial moisturecontent. In conclusion, the impregnation process used here resultsin high levels of well-dispersed linseed oil uptake and shouldfacilitate drying.     

Rainfall-runoff responses and roles of soil moisture variations to the response in tropical rain forest, bukit tarek, peninsular Malaysia

Field observations were conducted at Bukit Tarek Experimental Watershed in Peninsular Malaysia to investigate the relationship between rainfall-runoff responses and variation in soil moisture in a tropical rain forest. Stormflow depended strongly on the antecedent wetness as represented by the initial runoff rate. Though heavy rains fell in almost every month, the soil moisture decreased when fair weather was sustained. The soil moisture depleted and became dry at 160 cm depth during occasional dry spells. During dry conditions, streamflow responded quickly to rain events but declined rapidly after the rain stopped, and the soil moisture of surface soil (≤20 cm) increased but remained dry at lower depths (≽80 cm). This suggests that the rain water was mostly retained in the soil and only small proportions appeared as stormflow. As soil moisture conditions became wetter, the recession limb of the storm hydrograph was more gradual. Stormflow volume increased with increasing soil moisture. During wet conditions, the soil profile was moist at all parts of the slope. The hydraulic gradient was around 1.0 and there was downward soil water flux, which followed the pressure gradient. This suggests that subsurface flow from the upper part of the slope might also be important for stream-flow production. Positive pressures were observed at 10 cm and 160 cm depths during large storms. The behavior of the subsurface flow might be an important determinant of stormflow.     

马尾松微波间歇干燥对干燥效率与速率的影响

分析马尾松木材微波干燥速率随时间的变化规律,比较微波连续辐射和间歇辐射对木材干燥速率和微波能利用效率的影响.结果表明:木材微波干燥过程可以分成加速段、恒速段和减速段3个阶段;在微波干燥过程中,木材含水率在纤维饱和点以上时,其平均干燥速率和水分蒸发效率比在纤维饱和点以下时的高;采用适当间歇辐射对木材输入微波能,微波能利用率较高.