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Fuktförändringar i virke under pågående konditionering har aldrig tidigare studerats i tomograf. Resultat av denna labbstudie av diffusionsbaserad, icke-kondenserande jämviktskonditionering vid olika fuktkvotsnivåer sammanfattas enligt följande: (Notera att torkningsspänningar inte utvärde­rats i denna studie utan enbart fuktförändringar.) Studien styrker industriella erfarenheter att konditionering ”tar bättre” på virke nedtorkat till lägre fuktkvot jämfört än om fuktkvoterna är högre. Försöken ger en god fingervisning om hur länge konditionering bör pågå för en viss önskad medel­fuktkvotshöjning i ett industriellt vanligt förekommande klimat 70 °C och psykrometer­skillnad 2° vilket motsvarar en jämviktsfuktkvot på 16,8%. Vill man ex höja medelfuktkvoten från 10 – 12% visar resultaten att 4 timmars konditionering är tillräckligt för furuvirket. Att i samma klimat höja medel­fuktkvoten 2% vid högre startfuktkvoter (mellan 14–23%) har inte i något fall varit möjligt för vare sig gran eller furu under de 8 timmar som konditionering pågick. Det är också viktigt att påpeka att konditioneringsklimatet i dessa labbförsök har uppnått börvärden mycket snabbt (figur 3) vilket inte är fallet vid stora virkeslaster i industriskala där basningskapacitet och blåsdjup påverkar tid till uppnådda börvärden. Vad gäller fuktkvotsskillnad nära ytorna ses generellt en utplaning av fuktförändringar i samtliga försök efter 3–4 timmar. Fuktkvotsnivån spelar roll för den inledande fuktkvotsförändringen inom tvärsnittet: ju torrare virke desto snabbare förändring. När konditioneringen startar är fuktvandringen i splintved effektivare än i kärnved vilket sannolikt förklaras av splintvedens högre diffusivitet. Vad gäller eventuella skillnad mellan träslag är det inte möjligt att dra några slutsatser. Metodstudien visar att upplösningen i tomografen är tillräcklig för att kunna utvärdera fuktkvotsförändringar nära virkesytorna i ca 3 mm tjocka skal. Denna studie har utförts i projektet "Utveckling av industriell virkestorkning" inom ramen för projektet ”TiiN, TräInnovation i Norr” ”TiiN, TräInnovation i Norr”

Computed tomography (CT) during drying of sawn timber is an excellent non-destructivetechnique to study the moisture flux as a function of drying time. In this study, a climatechamber combined with a medical CT- scanner has been used for non-destructive studies ofdensity changes in sawn timber during drying and conditioning.Green sawn timber contains large amounts of water and has to be dried before it can befurther processed and used in various building applications. The most common dryingmethod is convective air-circulation drying in large industrial kilns, where the relativehumidity (RH) of the hot circulating air is gradually reduced until the timber reaches thetarget moisture content (MC).Drying of sawn timber is driven by the existence of a difference in MC between the coreand the surface, so that moisture moves from the wet inner region towards the drier outerregion. During the early capillary stages of drying, the drying rate is high while, at the laterstages when all liquid water has evaporated, the drying rate is slow and diffusioncontrolled.At the end of the drying process, the timber surface is always drier than its core.In addition to this moisture gradient, internal stresses develop within the cross section withcompression stresses in the timber surface and tension in the inner regions. To avoidunwanted distortions, both these stresses and the moisture gradient, need to be eliminatedbefore the timber is further processed. This is achieved in a final conditioning stage withinthe drying process by moistening the circulating air through steaming or water spraying.The aim of the present work was to optimize the conditioning stage by developing amethod for studying of moisture gradients, deformations and internal and externaldimensional changes in sawn timber during the conditioning phase by using a CT-scannercombined with a drying unit for in-situ measurements of moisture flow.The results show that it is possible to detect the moisture gradient between the surface andcore of the timber with satisfactory reliability, but not the internal and external dimensionalchanges. However, this method creates a potential for increasing the knowledge andunderstanding of the conditioning phase and makes it possible to optimize and develop thisstep in the drying process to improve the yield and ensure a higher quality of the sawntimber.

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a powerful tool for the non-destructive study of dynamic moisture processes in wood and other bio-based materials. In the CT facilities at Luleå University of Technology, it is possible to study wood-moisture relations such as water absorption, drying and related material deformation under a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. An increase in the use of bio-based materials in building construction has led to an increased interest in capillary phenomena in these materials, because of an increasing number of moisture-related damage in timber and hybrid-timber buildings. This article shows some examples of how different bio-materials used in construction interact with liquid water over time. The overall purpose has been to develop the CT technique as a powerful tool for the determination and visualization of capillary flow that can be a base for modelling and an increased understanding of moisture flow in new bio-based building materials. Early-stage observation of the behaviour of different traditional and new bio-based building materials shows that CT scanning, combined with image processing, has a high potential to be used in performing non-destructive and non-contact tests that can help to increase the knowledge of water-material interactions and develop building materials with an optimized performance. PRO LIGNO is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

X-ray computed tomography (CT), which was introduced in the medical field in the early 1970s, is also a powerful tool for the non-destructive measurement of dynamic processes in wood. For more than 20 years, CT has been used in wood research at Luleå University of Technology. The uniqueness of the CT equipment means that processes such as drying, modification, water absorption, internal and external cracking and material deformation can be studied in temperature- and humidity-controlled environments. The data recorded by the CT during the process is converted into two- or three-dimensional images that for instance can show dynamic moisture behavior in wood drying.This paper gives an overview of the possibilities of using CT in timber construction research, and shows examples of applications and results which can be particularly difficult to achieve using other methods. A specific focus is on studies on wood products for construction, and how to deal with different material combinations such as wood and metal.The practical application of the result is that CT-scanning, combined with image processing, can be used for non-destructive and non-contact 3-D studies of exterior constructions elements during water sorption and desorption, to study swelling and shrinking behaviour, delamination phenomena, crack development, etc. Godkänd; 2016; 20160712 (dicsan)

X-ray computed tomography (CT), which was introduced in the medical field in the early 1970s, is also a powerful tool for the non-destructive measurement of dynamic processes in wood. For more than 20 years, medical CT has been used in wood research at Luleå University of Technology. The uniqueness of the CT equipment allowsprocesses such as drying, modification; water absorption; internal and external cracking; and material deformation to be studied in temperature- and humidity-controlled environments. The data recorded by the CT scanner during the process is converted into two or three dimensional images that, for instance, can show dynamic moisture behaviour in wood drying and crack formation. This paper provides an overview of the possibilities of using CT in bio-composite research, and shows examples of applications and results that can be particularly difficult to achieve using other methods. A specific focus is on studies on wood products that use combinations with materials such as metal and especially about how to deal with the difficulties that this entails.The practical application of the result is that CT scanning, combined with image processing, can be used for non-destructive and non-contact three-dimensional s tudies of exterior construction elements during water sorption and desorption, to study parameters such as swelling and shrinking behaviour; delamination phenomena; and crack development.

Eucalyptus nitens has become a commercially important species in Chile and it isrepresenting one of the fastest growing wood-stock in the country. Today, it is widelyused for pulp and paper production, but the interest in using the solid wood has increasedin recent years. Before the sawn timber can be utilized, its moisture content must bereduced. Often during drying, hydrostatic tension forces within the cell exceed thecompressive strength of the thin cell wall of Eucalyptus nitens and the cell collapses. Thisphenomenon usually leads to severe surface deformation and both surface and internalcracks (honeycombing). Yield and quality of the final product, and thereby sawmills’profitability, are decreased by these cracks and deformations. The aim of this study wasto investigate, by CT-scanning samples throughout the drying process, if it is possible todetect when and how cracking and deformation occurs and develops in specimens ofEucalyptus nitens from Chile. Based on this knowledge, better drying schedules canhopefully be developed to improve the yield and provide a higher end-quality of the sawntimber.

During the drying of sawn timber, hydrostatic tension forces within the cell may exceed the compressive strength perpendicular to the grain of the thin cell wall and the cell then collapses. This phenomenon is common in hardwoods such as Sequoia sempervirens, Thuja plicata, Tsuga heterophylla, Juglans nigraand many species of eucalyptus and oak. Usually, this leads to severe surface deformation, and both surface and internal checking(honeycombing) may occur. The quality of the final product is lowered by these cracks and deformations. The aim of this study was to investigate, by CT-scanning samples throughout the drying process, whether it is possible to detect when and how cracking and deformation occurs and develops in specimens of Eucalyptus nitens. Based on this knowledge, better drying schedules can be developed to improve the yield and ensure a higher quality of the sawn timber. Three specimens, one specimen in each drying run, of Eucalyptus nitens were used for the tests. Their cross-sectional dimensions, prior to drying, were 105x23 mm2 and their length was 70 cm. A specially designed laboratory drying kiln that fits within the gantry of a Siemens Somatom Emotion medical CT-scanner was used (Fig. 1). With this equipment, it is possible to scan the inside of the kiln without interrupting the drying process.

This paper reports recent attempts for implementing non-destructive measuring of moisture contentin wood based on computed tomography technology. The study focus onan image analysis method that has been already proposed and validated in the literature, but ithas not been tested for measuring low moisture content variations below fibre saturation point.The computed tomography method was tested against the oven-dry method.The results show thatit is possible to apply this technology to measure low levels of moisture content based on a regression model, where therootmean square error of the modelwas 1,4percentage points of moisture content. The method can still be improved because the density differences between samples are relatively small in relation to the experimental error and the computed tomography precision. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20151221 (andbra)