EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT ON THE CHANGE IN COLOR

Acacia hybrid (Acacia mangium x auriculiformis), a wood species of low dimensional stability which is used almost exclusively for pulp, paper, or as firewood, was heat treated in nitrogen at 210-230 ºC for 2 to 6 hours. The changes in color and anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) of wood after heat treatment were determined for the different heat treatment conditions. The results show that heat treatment mainly resulted in the darkening of wood tissues, and heat-treated wood had better dimensional stability than those of the control samples. Chemical modifications of wood components were determined by FT-IR analysis. Spectra indicated that the hydroxyl group content was reduced by increased treatment intensity. This result coincides with the increase in dimensional stability of heat-treated wood. Heat treatment of acacia hybrid wood shows an interesting potential to improve the quality and value for solid wood products from plantation-grown wood species.