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Density and density profile changes in birch and spruce caused by thermo-hydro treatment measured by X-ray computed tomography

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Abstract

Birch and spruce samples were scanned using X-ray computed tomography (CT) to determine changes in the density and density profile caused by thermo-hydro treatment (THT). Small-dimension wood blocks were subjected to treatment at three different temperatures (160 °C, 170 °C and 180 °C) for 1 h and scanned before and after treatment. Identical acquisition and analysis procedures were used to evaluate the changes in approximate mean density and radial density profile of oven-dried untreated and treated material. The X-ray CT scans enabled measuring of the changes in wood density after THT. The results confirm that there were similar tendencies in the total density decrease with increasing temperature. However, variations in density changes between the earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) of birch and spruce were found. A correlation of the radial density profiles of treated versus untreated specimens showed a similar density decrease in EW and LW in birch wood and inconsistent reductions in spruce wood.

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Acknowledgements

This project is part of the U4 Network sponsored by the DAAD program “Strategic Partnership” and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Wood Products, Faculty of Forest Science and Forest Ecology, Georg-August University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Vladimirs Biziks & Holger Militz

  2. UGCT - UGent-Woodlab, Laboratory of Wood Technology, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Joris Van Acker & Jan Van den Bulcke

  3. UGCT, University of Ghent Center of X-ray Tomography, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Joris Van Acker & Jan Van den Bulcke

  4. Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, 27 Dzerbenes Str., Riga, 1006, Latvia

    Juris Grinins

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  1. Vladimirs Biziks
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  2. Joris Van Acker
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  3. Holger Militz
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  4. Juris Grinins
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  5. Jan Van den Bulcke
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Correspondence to Vladimirs Biziks.

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Biziks, V., Van Acker, J., Militz, H. et al. Density and density profile changes in birch and spruce caused by thermo-hydro treatment measured by X-ray computed tomography. Wood Sci Technol 53, 491–504 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-018-1070-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-018-1070-6

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