Specific gas permeability of normal and nanosilver-impregnated solid wood species as influenced by heat-treatment

Abstract

The effect of heat treatment at 50 and up to 150°C was studied on dowel-shape specimens prepared from beech (Fagus orientalis), poplar (Populus nigra), and fir (Abies alba) wood. Specimens were cut into two diameter sizes (18 and 25mm) to explore the effect of diameter size on permeability. Separate sets of specimens from each size and species were prepared to be first impregnated with a 200 ppm aqueous nanosilver (NS) suspension to investigate the effect of facilitated heat-transfer on permeability at different temperatures. Specimens were heated in five consecutive steps at 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150°C and for 24 hours in each step. High variance was found in the specific gas permeability between each treatment group, thus indicating probable high fluctuation in settlement of extractives at different spots of a log. Heat treatment only affected gas permeability at the first steps of heating (50 and 75°C), where loss of moisture content resulted in a permeability increase in nearly all species. Consecutive steps of heating up to 150°C did not significantly affect the permeability in either normal or NS-impregnated specimens.