Evaluation of wood surface roughness depending on species characteristics

Abstract

This study is focused on the impacts of species characteristics on the surface roughness of five species with different wood density namely white fir, Aleppo pine, European beech, walnut and white oak.

The sample specimens tested were 300x300x30 mm in size and their surface quality was evaluated by the “the direct contact method” based on a mechanical system of measurement, giving the possibility of reproducing the surface measured and analyzing its profile.

The surface roughness measurements were performed with a contact stylus profilometer, holding the moisture content of the specimens constant at 10%. The evaluation of the surface characteristics of the wood samples considered the roughness parameters: arithmetic mean deviation of the profile, maximum two point height of the profile, mean roughness depth and root-mean-square deviation of the profile.

From the study result showed different average values of surface roughness parameters for broadleaved and conifers species. The differences can be explain by the influence on the roughness of the wood surface of the wood texture and the texture uniformity.