Nondestructive testing method of wood moisture content based on a planar capacitance sensor model

For our research, a new hybrid experimental-computational method is presented. We applied a least squares fitting method （LSFM） to reconstruct the wood moisture content （WMC） from the data measured with a planar capacitance sensor. A boundary element method （BEM） was used to compute the relationship between capacitance and the dielectric constant. A functional relationship between MC and the dielectric constant was identified by LSFM. The agreement of this final computation result with the experimental data indicates that this method can be used to estimate the WMC quickly and effectively with engineering analysis. Compared with popular statistical methods, a large number of experiments are avoided, some costs of testing are reduced and the efficiency of testing is enhanced.

Basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties of Pinus pinaster wood infected with the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

The pinewood nematode（PWN）, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become one of the most severe threats to pine forest worldwide. Nematodes, migrating through resin canals and feeding on the living cells, induce rapid metabolic changes in ray parenchyma cells, create cavitation areas, decrease xylem water content and oleoresin exudation, and cause necrosis of parenchyma and cambial cells. This study focused on the impact of PWN infection on technological parameters of wood and evaluated the impact of anatomic and biochemical incidences of tree defense reactions on basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties of Pinus pinaster wood.Samples of infected and uninfected wood were studied.The presence of nematodes reduced wood basic density by2 % and decreased the total content of extractives in infected wood as compared with uninfected（5.98 and8.90 % of dry wood mass, respectively）. Extractives in infected trees had inverse distribution along the trunk as compared with uninfected trees. The adsorption isotherms for infected and uninfected wood had similar positioning.We recorded differences（some statistically significant） in the equilibrium moisture content of infected and uninfected wood under varying environmental conditions. Despite the verified differences in wood basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties, the overall conclusion is that the PWN had a slight impact on these characteristics of wood.

Mechanical behaviour of wood compressed in radial direction:Part II.Influence of temperature and moisture content

This study investigated the influence of pressing temperature and moisture content on the me-chanical properties of wood compressed in radial direction.Jack pine(Pinus banksiana)and bal-sam poplar(Populus balsamifera)specimens were tested under a combination of pressing temper-ature(20℃,55℃,90℃,and 125℃)and wood moisture content(2%,7%,12%,and 17%).The yield stress(_(δ)y)and modulus of elasticity(MOE)of the specimens were determined from the stress-strain response.It was found that an increase in either pressing temperature or moisture content of wood generally caused a decrease in the mechanical properties for both species.The t-test results revealed that jack pine specimens are more sensitive to changes in pressing tem-perature and wood moisture content than balsam poplar.For jack pine specimens,at any of the pressing temperatures,the moisture content of 12%was found to be a crucial level to start a significant decrease in𝜎y and MOE,while at any of the moisture content,a change in temper-ature from 55℃to 90℃exhibited a significant change in𝜎y and MOE.The regression models developed can be used to predict𝜎y and MOE as a function of temperature and moisture content.