Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267

DOI 10.1007/s00226-010-0315-9

ORIGINAL

Anatomical explanations for the changes in properties

of western red cedar (Thuja plicata) wood during heat
treatment

L. Awoyemi • I. P. Jones

Received: 29 August 2008 / Published online: 23 March 2010

Ó Springer-Verlag 2010

Abstract Thermal treatment is an alternative to the chemical treatment in wood

preservation, which has been used to some extent in improving timber quality.
Despite the enormous works done so far on the effects of heat treatment on wood
properties, very little is known about the anatomical changes in the various wood
species during the process. Wood samples from western red cedar (Thuja plicata)
were heat-treated at a temperature of 220°C for 1 and 2 h. The anatomical structures
were examined before and after the heat treatment process by using scanning
electron microscope (SEM) and related to density, water uptake, thickness swelling
and modulus of rupture of wood samples obtained from the same board. Heat
treatment of red cedar wood resulted in the destruction of tracheid walls, ray tissues
and pit deaspiration. The destroyed tracheid walls and ray tissues appeared to blow
up, thus increasing the size of the specimen. The process of pit deaspiration also
resulted in increasing size of the pits, thus creating more openings in the wood.
These changes in wood anatomy indicate that the well-established chemical deg-
radation is not the only reason for changes in wood properties during heat treatment.
However, it is believed that the effects of the chemical changes still outweigh those
of the anatomical changes based on the modification observed during the process of
heat treatment.

L. Awoyemi (&)
Department of Forestry, University of Ado Ekiti, P. M. B 5363 Ado Ekiti, Nigeria
e-mail: lawrenceawoyemi05@yahoo.com

I. P. Jones
Centre for Electron Microscopy and School of Metallurgy and Materials,
University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

123
262 Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267

Introduction

Thermal treatment is an alternative to chemical treatment in wood preservation and

has been used to some extent in improving timber quality. Among the benefits
associated with this technique are reduction in the emission of volatile organic
compounds (Manninen et al. 2002), improved dimensional stability (Kamdem et al.
2000; Rapp and Sailer 2001; Tejada et al. 1997), resistance of wood to natural
weathering (Nuopponen et al. 2004), recovery of colour loss through natural
weathering (Mitsui 2006), enhancement of colour uniformity (Sailer et al. 2000),
improvement in colour stability (Ayadi et al. 2003), improvement in durability
(Boonstra et al. 2006; Hanger et al. 2002; Sailer et al. 2000), reduction in equilibrium
moisture content (Obataya et al. 2000; Obataya and Tomita 2002), reduction in
hygroscopicity (Metsa-Kortelainen et al. 2006) and increase in wettability (Hakkou
et al. 2005).
Most of these improvements in wood quality derived during thermal modification
have been linked to the considerable changes in the chemical composition, notably
the degradation of the amorphous carbohydrates (Boonstra and Tjeerdsma 2006;
Kamdem et al. 2002; Metsa-Kortelainen et al. 2006; Udaka and Furuno 2003).
Despite the enormous work done so far on the effects of heat treatment on wood
properties, very little has been done regarding the anatomical changes in the various
wood species during the process.

Experimental

Wood materials

Samples 20 9 20 9 20 mm3 and 20 9 20 9 120 mm3 were prepared from one

board of kiln-dried western red cedar (Thuja plicata) wood (moisture content =
± 8.0%; n = 4) and allocated into three different groups A to C.

Heat treatment

An airtight sealed cylindrical vessel made of steel was placed inside a laboratory
oven where preheating at 220°C was carried out for 1 h. The samples were then
placed inside the vessel and heat-treated for 1 h (group B) and 2 h (group C). The
samples in group A were used as control.

Wood anatomy

Samples (approx. 3 9 3 9 3 mm3) were obtained from the heat-treated and

untreated wood. The samples were scraped with a blade to provide a smooth surface
for the anatomical study. The samples were then put under vacuum and coated with
gold. They were then transferred to the scanning electron microscope (SEM), and
images were obtained.

123
Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267 263

Density and mass loss

The weight and dimension of the samples were obtained before and after the heat
treatment. The data obtained was used to calculate density reduction and mass loss
by the formulae:
M
D¼
V
 
D1  D2
DD ¼ 100
D1
where D = density (kg/m3), M = mass before or after heat treatment (kg),
V = volume before or after heat treatment (m3), DD = change in density (%),
D1 = density before heat treatment (kg/m3), D2 = density after heat treatment
(kg/m3).

Water absorption and thickness swelling

The measurements of water uptake and thickness swelling were carried out by
soaking the wood samples in water (pH * 7.0) in a laboratory at room temperature
(23°C) for 24 h. The moisture content of each sample was recorded at five different
points in time up to 24 h. The amount of water absorbed at each point in time was
obtained. At the end of the 24-h soaking period, the swollen weights and dimensions
of each sample were recorded. The volumetric swelling coefficient was derived
from the data obtained using the formula:
100ðV2  V1 Þ
VSwC ¼
V1
where VSwC = volumetric swelling coefficient (%), V2 = swollen volume and
V1 = initial volume.

Wood strength

The 3-point bending test was carried out with the samples placed on a support with a
span of 50 mm and a machine speed of 1 mm/m. The modulus of rupture was
obtained directly from the computer programme supplied with the machine.

Results

Physical properties

The changes in properties of red cedar wood due to heat treatment are shown in
Table 1. During the first hour of treatment, there was a reduction of 7.91, 30.8, 16.5
and 2.3% in density, water uptake, thickness and modulus of rupture, respectively.
Increasing the treatment time to 2 h resulted in higher reductions for all the
properties.

123
264 Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267

Table 1 Properties of red cedar wood before and after heat treatment
Treatment Density Water Thickness Modulus of
reduction (%) uptake swelling (%) rupture (MPa)

1 h at 220°C 7.91 ± 1.14 0.18 ± 0.01 2.78 ± 1.19 84.1 ± 8.5

2 h at 220°C 11.86 ± 0.30 0.13 ± 0.01 1.59 ± 0.80 56.5 ± 4.1
Control Not applicable 0.26 ± 0.01 3.33 ± 1.74 86.1 ± 11.4
Number of samples 6 6 6 5

Wood anatomy

The effects of heat treatment on the anatomical properties of red cedar wood are
summarized by the differences in features between treated and untreated wood in
the figures below (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4).
Heat treatment of red cedar wood resulted in the destruction of tracheid walls, ray
tissues (Figs. 3 and 4) and pit deaspiration (Fig. 4). The destroyed tracheid walls
and ray tissues appeared blown up, thus increasing the size of the specimen. The
process of pit deaspiration resulted in an increase in the size of the pits, thus creating
more openings in the wood.

Discussion

During the process of heat treatment, there is degradation of the chemical

components mainly the hemicelluloses resulting in the formation of acetic, formic

Fig. 1 SEM of red cedar wood (longitudinal cut) before heat treatment showing normal tracheids and
aspirated pits

123
Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267 265

Fig. 2 SEM of red cedar wood before heat treatment showing normal cell walls in the tracheids

Fig. 3 SEM image of red cedar wood (longitudinal cut) after 1 h of heat treatment showing partial
destruction of the tracheids and pit deaspiration

and phenolic acids. The presence of these degradation products was associated with
the various changes in wood properties. However, the damage done to the wood
anatomical structure in this species indicates that chemical degradation is not the
only reason for changes in wood properties during heat treatment. In addition, the
degradation of the tracheid walls during heat treatment agrees with the degradation
of the hemicelluloses which is one of the major components of the cellulose cell
wall (Fig. 4). They are responsible for the reductions in density, thickness swelling
and modulus of rupture.
The lower water uptake in heat-treated wood compared to untreated wood,
despite the opening of the aspirated pits, shows that the wood–water relationship of

123
266 Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267

Fig. 4 SEM image of red cedar wood (longitudinal cut) after 2 h of heat treatment showing higher
degree of destruction of the tracheids and pit deaspiration

heat-treated wood is more affected by the changes in the chemical composition of

the material than its anatomical structure. The effects of the reduction in wood
hygroscopicity due to the degradation of the chemical components outweigh the
expected increase in water uptake due to the increase in permeability presumably
caused by the opening of the pits.

Conclusion

Heat treatment of red cedar wood resulted in the destruction of tracheid walls, ray
tissues and pit deaspiration. These changes in wood anatomy indicate that the
widely established chemical degradation is not the only reason for changes in wood
properties during heat treatment. However, it is believed that the effects of the
chemical changes still outweigh those of the anatomical changes on the modification
observed during the process of heat treatment.

Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Royal Society (UK
Academy of Sciences) through the grant awarded to Dr Awoyemi under the Incoming International Visit
Scheme.

References

Ayadi N, Lejeune F, Charrier F, Charrier B, Merlin A (2003) Colour stability of heat-treated wood during
artificial weathering. Holz Roh Werkst 61:221–226
Boonstra MJ, Tjeerdsma B (2006) Chemical analysis of heat treated softwoods. Holz Roh Werkst
64:204–211
Boonstra MJ, van Acker J, Kegel E, Stevens M (2006) Optimisation of a two stage heat treatment process:
durability aspects. Wood Sci Technol 40:31–57

123
Wood Sci Technol (2011) 45:261–267 267

Hakkou M, Petrissans M, Zoulalian A, Gerardin P (2005) Investigation of wood wettability changes

during heat treatment on the basis of chemical analysis. Polym Degrad Stab 89:1–5
Hanger J, Huber H, Lackner R, Wimmer R, Fellner J (2002) Improving the natural durability of heat-
treated spruce, pine and beech. Holzforsch Holzverwert 54:92–93
Kamdem DP, Pizzi A, Triboulot MC (2000) Heat-treated timber: potentially toxic byproducts presence
and extent of wood cell wall degradation. Holz Roh- Werkst 58:253–257
Kamdem DP, Pizzi A, Jermannaud A (2002) Durability of heat-treated wood. Holz Roh- Werkst 60:1–6
Manninen AM, Pasanen P, Holopainen JK (2002) Comparing the VOC emissions between air-dried and
heat-treated Scots pine wood. Atmos Environ 36:1763–1768
Metsa-Kortelainen S, Antikainen T, Viitanieni P (2006) The water absorption of sapwood and heartwood
of Scots pine and Norway spruce heat-treated at 170°C, 190°C, 210°C and 230°C. Holz Roh- Werkst
64:192–197
Mitsui K (2006) Changes in colour of spruce by repetitive treatment of light irradiation and heat
treatment. Holz Roh- Werkst 64:243–244
Nuopponen M, Wikberg H, Vuorinen T, Maunu SL, Jamsa S, Viitaniemi P (2004) Heat-treated softwood
exposed to weathering. J Appl Polymer Sci 91:2128–2134
Obataya E, Tomita B (2002) Hygroscopicity of heat-treated wood II. Reversible and irreversible
reductions in the hygroscopicity of wood due to heating. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 48:288–295
Obataya E, Tanaka F, Norimoto M, Tomita B (2000) Hygroscopicity of heat treated wood I. Effects of
after-treatments on the hygroscopicity of heat-treated wood. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 46:77–87
Rapp AO, Sailer M (2001) Oil-heat-treatment of wood-process and properties. Drvna Industrija 52:63–70
Sailer M, Rapp AO, Leithoff H, Peek RD (2000) Upgrading of wood by application of an oil-heat
treatment. Holz Roh- Werkst 58:15–22
Tejada A, Okuyama T, Yamamoto H, Yoshida M (1997) Reduction of growth stresses in log by direct
heat treatment: Assessment of a commercial scale operation. For Prod J 47:86–93
Udaka E, Furuno T (2003) Change in crystalline structure of compressed wood by treatment with a closed
heating system. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 49:1–6

123