Dimensional Stability and Bending Properties of Small Diameter Log Treated by Sap-displacement Method

The effect of the treatment with CCFZ, FR-4, and PEG400 from butt end on the dimensional stability and bending properties was examined. Three softwood species such as red pine, Korean white pine and Japanese larch and three hardwood species such as poplar, alder and oak were investigated in this research. Shrinkage of red pine, Korean white pine, poplar, and alder treated with PEG400 decreased. However, there was no significant decrease of shrinkage in Japanese larch and oak. The decrease of shrinkage when moisture content changed from about 20% to 10% was larger than that at any other phase. In regard to the effect of treatment on bending properties, bending MOE and MOR of all specimens treated with PEG400 decreased significantly. Especially in the case of red pine, poplar, and alder treated with PEG400, bending MOR reduced 9%, 14%, and 12%, respectively. Reductions of MOR of the hardwood was also much larger than that of the softwood. However, in all species, treatment with CCFZ and FR-4 did not affect the change of bending MOE and MOR significantly. Comparing the large specimen which also included heartwood with the small specimen which included only treated sapwood, there was a difference in the change of bending MOE and MOR between them. The large specimens of Korean white pine, alder and Poplar, which had a relatively low proportion of sapwood(18~22%), showed the decrease of MOR by 11~13% more than that of small specimens, while red pine, Japanese larch and oak, which had a relatively high proportion of sapwood(35~40%), showed little decrease. It means that bending MOE and MOR of structural wood treated from butt end should be considered in terms of sapwood proportion as well as effect of treated chemicals.