The Effect of Short Time Thermal Treatment on Swelling of Field Maple (Acer campestre L.) and Fir (Abies alba Mill.)

Abstract

From the immemorial time wood is highly abundant and well-performing material. Further one due to practical use the wood heat treatment, as a process for improving its properties has been enhanced in the recent tim. Abies alba Mill and Acer campestre L. are among the most wide spread species in Albanian forest and among the most useful types of wood in Albanian wood industry. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of short time heat treatment on dimensional stability and the mass loss of these two species. Wood samples are treated in three different temperatures (180 ℃, 200 ℃, 220 ℃) and two different time durations of 15 and 30 minutes. After the heat treatment, the mass loss is determined for treated samples. Treated and untreated samples are immersed in water and the swelling is determined. According to the results obtained, wood swelling undergoes a considerable reduction in the case of wood treatment at a temperature of 220 ℃ for the longest time duration of 30 minutes. The higher percentage of weight loss after the thermal treatment (9.66% for the maple and 10.77% for the fir) was measured in the samples treated in a 220 ℃ for 30 minutes. The results of both treated and untreated wood were given for comparative purposes.

Keywords

• wood treatment
• thermal applications
• maple
• fir
• swelling
• wood modification