Hygroscopicity of longitudinally compressed wood

Abstract

Knowledge of hygroscopicity is extremely important both in the use of native wood and modified wood. In this study, the modification method was steaming at 100 °C, then longitudinal compression at a rate of 20%. The moisture content (MC) of treated and untreated green beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) was reduced in a climate chamber with gradual reduction of air humidity at 20 °C. The difference of calculated fibre saturation points between control samples and samples compressed for a long time was 6% (MC%). In the course of desorption, this difference decreased, and finally disappeared at 10% moisture content (40% relative humidity). In the second step of the research work, the speed of vapour adsorption was checked. The absolute dry samples were placed in air with 95% relative humidity. The highest deviation in the moisture content was 1% (MC%) between the control and the compressed samples. The compressed wood dries faster than the control samples under the same conditions. Furthermore, during adsorption, the moisture content of the compressed samples at room conditions is lower.