Physical and mechanical characteristics of poor-quality wood after heat treatment

Abstract: Poor-quality Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) wood samples were heat treated with the aim of testing the improvement of wood quality that could increase their economic value. Wood properties were measured to assess quality in treated and non-treated materials, including density, hardness, anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and compression strength. The results showed higher dimensional stability in heat-treated wood, yet mechanical performance in compression and bending strength were only marginally affected by loss of density. Despite having a relatively low density after heat treatment, Corsican pine sapwood has potential in manufacturing higher-value products. In contrast, heat treatment applied to Douglas fir wood did not appear economically viable; insufficient differences were detected between the naturally desirable characteristics of this species and heat-treated samples.