Heating Compression of Italian Poplar (Populus euramericana) Wood - Dimensional Stability Against Moisture -

  • Jung, In-Suk (Department of Wood Sci. & Tech., Kyungpook National Univ, Department Group of Forestry and Wood Sci. & Tech., College of Agriculture, Kyungpook Nat'l Univ.) ;
  • Lee, Weon-Hee (Department of Wood Sci. & Tech., Kyungpook National Univ, Department Group of Forestry and Wood Sci. & Tech., College of Agriculture, Kyungpook Nat'l Univ.)
  • Received : 2002.05.13
  • Accepted : 2002.08.29
  • Published : 2002.09.26

Abstract

This study was carried out to estimate the property of dimensional stability of heat compression of italian poplar wood with low density. Firstly, two levels of pressure conditions were applied using the closed and open-press system. The thermal treatment temperatures were 180℃ and 200℃, respectively. Water absorption tests were conducted in water bath at 25℃ and 100℃ for 35 hours and 1 hour, respectively. The compression rates of wood were 47 percent, 60 percent, and 73 percent, respectively. From these tests, it was found that the dimensional stability of the closed-press system was superior to that of the open-press system. Furthermore, the dimensional stability of compressed wood in the closed-press system was better at 200℃ than 180℃. In compression rate, dimensional stability of 73 percent compression rate was the best result. Considering these results, the best conditions for the dimensional stability of compressed wood were those of the closed-compressing system at high temperatures above 200℃ and larger compression rate. Therefore, it was concluded that the dimensional stability of wood is improved at higher temperature and larger deformation.

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Acknowledgement

This study was financially supported by Korea Science and Engineering Foundation(KOSEF Grant r05-2001-000-01427-0)