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Oak (Quercus robur L.), iroko (Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C.C. Berg), and tauari (Couratari spp.) wood were subjected to cyclic thermo-mechanical treatment (CTMT). The densification temperature amounted to 100 °C or 150 °C. The greatest changes in the modulus of rupture (MOR) value of the iroko wood, depending on the number of thermo-mechanical modification cycles, were noted. The MOR of the iroko wood, densified at 100 °C or 150 °C, after second thermo-mechanical modification cycle was twice as high as before the modification. No significant differences were observed between the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of oak wood before and after one modification cycle. Similar dependencies were noted in iroko wood. The thermo-mechanical modification performed over two cycles led to the highest increase, by about 56%, in MOE in oak wood densified at 150 °C. It was demonstrated that modification at 150 °C had a negative impact on iroko wood, which was manifested in the lower compression ratio of iroko at 150 °C than at 100 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), oak (Quercus robur L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood were volume-densified by means of thermo-mechanical modification. At first stage the wood was heated in a hydraulic press at temperature 100°C for 720 s, and then one-step densified in order to obtain the target thickness. The wood was cooled in a hydraulic press with unheated plates. Density profiles parallel and perpendicular to the grain were examined. The analysis of the density profiles was carried out on the basis of the following parameters: mean density, minimum to mean density ratio, maximum density, and the distance between the maximum density area and the wood surface. Wood hardness was determined according to the Brinell method. Volume-densified pine wood was characterized by considerably lower susceptibility to densification than beech or oak wood. Densified beech wood had the highest mean density 921 ±7 kg/m³, and the highest maximum density 968 ±12 kg/m³. The Brinell hardness of densified beech, oak and pine wood was twice as high as before the densification. The greatest hardness after the densification 78.60 ±10.56 N/mm² was observed in beech wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the influence of ultraviolet radiation on the colour of thermo-mechanically modified beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak (Quercus robur). The wood colour parameters were measured using the mathematical CIE L*a*b* and L*C*h colour space models. The higher the temperature of thermo-mechanical treatment, the least susceptible beech and oak wood was to a change in L*, a* and b* under the influence of light irradiation. The greatest changes in the colour of non-densified and densified beech and oak wood occurred after 20 h of light irradiation. The higher the temperature of thermo-mechanical treatment, the smaller were the total changes in the colour of beech and oak wood under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The total changes in the colour of beech densified at temperatures of 100°C and 150°C that took place under the influence of ultraviolet radiation were twice as high as in the case of densified oak wood. The colour of oak wood modified at a temperature of 200°C did not change significantly in 300 h of light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]