This study was carried out to improve the physical and mechanical properties of Populus alba x glandulosa treated by the heat and compression.
The results obtained were as follows,
1. The specific gravity of the wood was conspicuously increased by t...
This study was carried out to improve the physical and mechanical properties of Populus alba x glandulosa treated by the heat and compression.
The results obtained were as follows,
1. The specific gravity of the wood was conspicuously increased by the increasing of pressing level,
2. The shrinkage of the wood was increased by the increasing of pressing level, The radial shrinkage was 6.41-8.81 %, the tangential shrinkage was 8.98-19.81%, and the longitudinal shrinkage was 1.46-1.91%, Comparing to the untreated stock, the rate of increase was 48.7-104.4% in radial direction, 1.7-124.4% in tangential direction and 60.4-109.9 % in longitudinal direction, respectively.
3. The rate absorption of 30% compressed stock was similar to that of untreated stock but the rate of absorption of 40% or more compressed stock was increased highly.
4. The thickness swelling of the wood was not changed in radial direction at pressing level, but was conspicuously increased in tangetial direction under the pressing level of 40% and 50%.
5. The heat and compression treatment affected on the mechanical properties of the wood. The longitudinal compressive strength was increased under the pressing level of up to 40%, but was decreased under the pressing level of 50%. The bending strength was not changed under the compression percentage of up to 30%, but was decreased under the pressing level of 30% or more. And, the absorbed energy in impact bending was increased to 128% under the pressing level of up to 30%, but was decreased under the pressing level of 30% or more.
Conclusionly, the mechanical properties of the wood was improved by the heat and compression treatment but the strength of the wood was decreased under the pressing level of a certain level or more(in this study, pressing level of 30% or more). This was because of the wood deterioration due to the deformation (shrinkage, crack, failure) of wood tissues induced by the heat and compression treatment, the heat analysis of wood components induced by the heating, and the drop of the degree of polymerization.