Color changes in wood during heating: kinetic analysis by applying a time-temperature superposition method

This paper deals with the kinetics of the color properties of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) wood. Specimens cut from the wood were heated at 90-180 degrees C as accelerated aging treatment. The specimens completely dried and heated in the presence of oxygen allowed us to evaluate the effects of thermal oxidation on wood color change. Color properties measured by a spectrophotometer showed similar behavior irrespective of the treatment temperature with each time scale. Kinetic analysis using the time-temperature superposition principle, which uses the whole data set, was successfully applied to the color changes. The calculated values of the apparent activation energy in terms of L*, a*, b*, and Delta E-ab* were 117, 95, 114, and 113 kJ/mol, respectively, which are similar to the values of the literature obtained for other properties such as the physical and mechanical properties of wood.