Effect of Heat Treatment on the Dimensional Stability and the Bending Properties of Radiata Pine Sapwood

The effects of heat treatment on the dimensional stability and bending properties of radiata pine sapwood were investigated. The dimensional stability was almost achieved by heat treatment though the loss of strength was accompanied as a negative effect. The improvement in dimensional stability of wood and the resultant reduction in bending properties were closely related to treatment temperature and duration. The optimum treatment conditions, which could be used to achieve a desired improvement in dimensional stability with resultant losses in modulus of rupture were proposed based on the results obtained in this study.