Possibility of using non-destructive spectrophotometery to detect the poplar tension wood and spruce compression wood in freshly cut and dried timbers

Abstract

In this study, the potential use of spectrophotometery and CIELAB technique was evaluated to detect reaction woods, including poplar tension wood and spruce compression wood. Thus, two trees of spruce ( Picea abies) and poplar (Populous nigra) containing reaction wood were cut from a forest belonging to ENGREF (the National Engineering School of Forestry close to Nancy in France). Then, the parameters of lightness (L*) and reflectance (R) were measured in the reaction and normal wood regions in the green and dry conditions. The results showed that in the green condition, the spruce compression wood had less lightness than the normal wood and the lightness of compression wood increased as a result of drying. Difference between the lightness and reflectance parameters of two types of reaction woods and those of their corresponding normal woods was significant in the green condition. Consequently, it can be concluded that the macroscopically detection of reaction wood is easier in the green condition than in the dry one.

Keywords

• Nondestructive test
• spectrophotometery
• reaction wood
• tension wood
• compression wood