Moisture content, vertical density profile and Janka hardness of thermally compressed pine wood panels as a function of press pressure and temperature

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of press pressure and temperature on the moisture content (MC), vertical density profile (VDP), and Janka hardness of solid wood panels (SWP) made of Pinus sylvestris. Panels with dimensions of 250mm (width) by 500mm (length) by 18mm (thickness) were compressed at temperatures of 120 and 150C using pressures of 50 and 70 bar for 60min in a hot press. Thermal compression at different pressures reduced final MC, increased density, and improved Janka hardness of wood specimens when compared to control specimens. This study indicated that VDP could affect SWP properties by manipulating some production parameters of wood-composite panels and thereby expand the range of applications of SWP.