A macroscopic Washburn approach of liquid imbibition in wood derived from X-ray tomography observations

Abstract Imbibition of water and silicone oil in poplar and spruce is investigated at the anatomical level by X-ray tomography observations and at the macroscopic level by imbibition kinetics. Imbibition mechanisms depend on both liquid and species. In poplar, oil penetrates vessels with a small contact angle, consistent with the value measured on solid wood (ca. $$20^{\circ }$$ 20 ∘ ). Surprisingly, no direct penetration of water was observed in vessels. The large contact angle for water blocks the capillary rise at the scars between vessel cells. In spruce, oil and water penetrate primarily in latewood, where bordered pits remain open. Subsequently, water slowly invades the rest of the growth ring, while transversal migration is quasi-absent for oil. These 3D observations were quantified to feed a simple imbibition model that satisfactorily simulates macroscopic imbibition kinetics. A 1D approach is sufficient for oil imbibition while a 2D approach is required for water, revealing dual scale effects.