Magnetic resonance imaging evidences of the impact of water sorption on hardwood capillary imbibition dynamics

Imbibition in poplar wood is studied from macroscopic measurements (mass and deformation) along with magnetic resonance imaging experiments allowing to observe bound and free water dynamics. Additional experiments with silicone oil allow to compare the characteristics of water imbibition with those of a liquid not hygroscopically adsorbed in wood. It was shown that, in contrast to porous media with an impermeable solid structure, the water imbibition in the hydraulic conduits of hardwood is not simply driven by the standard capillary effects associated with a good wetting of the solid surface, but it is in fact strongly affected by the adsorption of bound water in cell walls. More precisely bound water appears to progress far beyond the front of free water, and the free water penetration along the sample axis apparently coincides with the development of a region saturated with bound water. This likely explains that water imbibition is about three orders of magnitude slower than expected from standard Washburn imbibition process.