Study of the degradation of heat-treated jack pine under different artificial weathering conditions

Heat-treated wood is a natural product heat-treated at high temperatures in the range of 180 to 240°C. Heat treatment modifies wood both chemically and physically. However, heat-treated wood is susceptible to weathering degradation. It is of considerable importance to investigate the influence of weathering on the degradation processes of heat-treated wood under different conditions. Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) heat-treated at different temperature were exposed to artificial weathering with and without water spray for different periods in order to understand the effect of weathering factors on degradation processes. Before and after weathering, their color and wettability by water were determined. Structural changes and chemical modifications at exposed surfaces were also investigated using florescent microscopy imaging, SEM, FTIR spectroscopy, and XPS. The results revealed that heat-treated wood was degraded more during weathering with water spray than without water spray.