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This study focused on the impact of the wood sawing pattern on 50 mm thick beech timber, followed by cross-cutting on the 3 m long, 50 x 50 mm beech blanks. The study analyzed two methods of cutting patterns of beech blanks (parallel to the surface of the timber and parallel to the grain fiber of the timber) regarding yield values and the size of longitudinal warping after air-drying. The yield values were higher (from 65.14 to 72.70 %) when producing long beech blanks using the method of sawing parallel to the timber's axis (B) compared to parallel to the edge of the blank (from 60.38 to 68.40 %). Results showed that a crucial factor for choosing the cutting method (A or B) is the taper of the logs. For blanks with a taper ≥ 1.3 cm.m-1, it is more advantageous in terms of longitudinal warping and yield to use the method of sawing parallel to the timber's axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of wood have remarkable influence on its use in buildings. The improvement of the mechanical properties enables the reduction in the cross-sections of structural elements, particularly the increase in their load. The paper deals with the change in the mechanical properties of beech wood through the process of contact drying. Plate pressures of 1.0, 1.4, and 1.6 MPa at a temperature of 160 °C were used. It was found that contact drying increased the bending strength by more than 30% compared to convection drying. The value of Brinell's hardness measured on the surface of the samples increased by 80 to 98% after contact drying, and the measured values of impact toughness were higher, about 31.1% compared to the samples dried by the convection drying method. As a result of contact drying, the density in the absolutely dry state increased for radial samples by 102.3 kg·m−3 and for tangential samples by 83.1 kg·m−3. The pressure of the plates also had an effect on the change in density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the impact of drying process and selected parameters on the color changes on the surface of pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.). Three predetermined process conditions (modes), mild, normal, and intensive, were investigated. The experiments were conducted using a semi-industrial scale dryer designed at the Gdańsk University of Technology with a loading capacity of 0.55 m3. The drying process was applied to pine wood grown in the northern part of Pomeranian region in Poland. The specimens were selected taking into consideration the radial angle of the growth rings. During each drying mode, 25 pieces of wood with dimensions (thickness, width, length) of 0.03 m, 0.2 m, and 1.5 m, respectively, were dried. The total color change (E) after drying process and color saturation (h*) before and after drying processes of the wood surface was determined using the normalized CIELAB methods. The obtained results indicated that the color change of the pine wood surface increased simultaneously with the intensification of the drying process. However, the normalized wood quality after drying under intensive drying process conditions remained within the standard limits. The application of intensive drying process conditions remarkably changes the surface color of the obtained material, while remarkably reducing the drying process duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the impregnation process of pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L.) samples on the electrical resistance changes and the moisture-content measurement accuracy is presented in this paper. In this study, the resistances of impregnated and nonimpregnated green pine timber harvested from northern Poland were compared. An impregnation method based on a vacuum-pressure chamber was used. Copper salts were applied as the impregnated solutions. The obtained results of the electrical resistance comparison showed a dependence of wood resistance on the moisture content. Higher conductivity occurred in impregnated wood samples filled with copper salt compared with wood samples without impregnation. Noticeable differences in the electrical resistance values were observed when the wood moisture content was significantly above the Fibre Saturation Point (FSP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]