• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.438-445
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• 2015

Among several thermal wood modification methods German oil heating technology was applied to Korean pine specimens by heat treatment at $180^{\circ}C$ and $200^{\circ}C$. In addition the matched specimens were heat-treated by Thermowood method. The heat-treated specimens were planed and their colors were measured with a colorimeter at 1 mm and 4 mm below the surfaces. The average lightness index (L*) of Oil-180 specimens was the largest followed by Oil-200 and Tmo-200 specimens. The average redness indexes (a*) of all specimens were increased by heat treatment, while the average yellowness indexes (b*) were variable. The average color differences (${\Delta}E*$) of Oil-200 and Tmo-200 specimens were above 30.0, while that of Oil-180 specimens was only 18.4. It can be concluded that the colors of the heat-teated specimens were uniformly changed because their average color difference indexes (${\Delta}E*$) between the inner layers were below 6.0.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.457-476
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• 2016

This was investigated on the major issues and research trends regarding the heat-treatment of woods through literature reviews. The principal heat-treatment technologies utilized for industrial purposes include the Plato-process (Netherlands), the Retification process (France), the OHT-process (Germany), and the Thermowood Process (Finland). Factors that mainly influence the heat-treatment process are the wood species, process temperature, processing time, and the heating medium (air, steam, vacuum, N2, oil, etc.). Researches on investigating the optimal conditions with these process conditions being the variables stand as the mainstream. Heat-treated woods present dimensional stability improvement, but mass loss and strength reduction, a wide variations for decaying inhibition, and insufficient resistance against mold, wood borer, and termites. For further improvement in respects of durability or resistance to biological degradation, necessity to search for more suitable heat treatment process and processing conditions fit for each wood species has been suggested. Exploiting new ways to utilize heat-treated wood and extending its range of use have been considered to be important matters that need more effort put into for the sustainable and sound environment as well as saving the wood resources.