Mechanical and chemical behavior of spruce wood modified by heat

In this study the effects of heat treatment on compression strength (CS) of spruce wood (Picea orientalis) were examined and changes in the chemical structure of the treated wood were determined by analyzing contents of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Heat treatment was applied on the test samples in an oven at four different temperatures (130, 150, 180 and 200 degrees C) and three different durations (2, 6 and 10h) under atmospheric pressure. The results indicate that the effects of heat treatment on CS values generally exhibited a decrease with increased duration and temperature. It was seen that hemicelluloses were the wood-cell components most degraded by the heat treatment. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.