Changes in the color and physical properties of wood by high temperature heat treatment

Abstract

We analyzed changes in the color and physical properties by high temperature heat treated woods at several treatment conditions, performing regression analyses on the basic color variables L*, a* and b*, and investigating the physical properties changes. Four species of wood, Pine, Larch, Spruce and Yellow Poplar, were heat treated at five different temperatures, 150°C, 170°C, 190°C, 210°C and 230°C, for three different times: 2 h, 4 h and 6 h. We compared the control and heat treated specimens in terms of changes in the color and physical properties, such as the mass loss, the equilibrium moisture content (EMC), and the modulus of rupture (MOR) values. The color and physical properties were analyzed using a multiple stepwise regression based on the basic color variables L*, a* and b* as independent variables.