Exercise # 05a

Density and Specific Gravity of

Wood

Submitted by:
Gudao, Kasandra Ortezze
Macariola, Vinn Gillard
Manzanero, Joen
Macasaet, Marclo Franz

Date of Submission: 11/25/2023

 I. INTRODUCTION

Wood density is determined by the unit volume of a wood’s mass. It is usually

expressed in grams centimeters per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) or pounds per cubic foot
(lb/ft³). Specific gravity, on the other hand, is the ratio of wood density to the water’s
density. It has been widely recognized as one of the most important measures in a wood
because of its significance to its structure and storage - in this case, its ability to store
moisture content. According to Williamson (2010), wood species with high specific gravity
can store more moisture content than those with low specific gravity.

Now, both properties are significantly influenced by changes in moisture content.

Since wood is a hygroscopic material, it tends to absorb or release moisture from its
surroundings, leading to variations in its weight and volume (Tsoumis, n.d.). Generally, when
it comes to density, as the wood absorbs moisture, its weight also increases due to the
added water. Hence, the apparent increase in density, as the mass of the wood has
increased without a proportional increase in volume. In the case of specific gravity,
generally, the values decrease with increasing moisture content due to the addition of
water, which has a lower density than the wood material itself. So as wood absorbs
moisture, the overall density decreases, leading to a reduction in specific gravity.

Ultimately, it is important to note that these changes in density and specific gravity
with moisture content are crucial considerations in various applications of wood. For
instance, in construction, changes in moisture content can affect the structural integrity of
wooden components, and in industries like papermaking, the variability in wood density can
impact the quality of the pulp. Proper understanding and management of moisture content
are essential for optimizing the performance of wood in different contexts.

OBJECTIVES

A. Use the oven dry method to determine the density and specific gravity of wood from
weight and volume measurements; and

B. Discuss the relationship between density and specific gravity and the moisture
content of the wood.

II. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1. Density and Specific Gravity at Different Moisture Conditions

Specimen Weight (g) Volume (cm3) Density (g/cm3) Specific
Condition Gravity
(%MC)

Ovendry 39 74 0.53 0.5270

15% 48.85 79.27 0.57 0.4920

25% 48.75 82.78 0.59 0.4712

30% 50.70 84.53 0.30 0.4614

50% 58.50 84.53 0.69 0.4614

 100% 78.00 84.53 0.92 0.4614

Values from Table 1, suggest the change of volumetric and physical parameters
associated with the different moisture conditions. As for the weight and volume it can be
seen that it is at lowest at oven-dry conditions and increases with moisture content. This is
because the wood absorbs water due to its hygroscopic nature. Density, generally,
Conversely, the specific gravity is highest at oven dry condition and decreases as the
moisture content increases. According to Dinwoodie (2000) as wood absorbs moisture, the
volume of the wood increases due to the swelling of the wood fibers, but the mass (weight)
does not increase proportionally. More to this, it is also important to note that the volume
and the specific gravity remain constant at moisture conditions above fiber saturation point
(30%). This is because once the cell walls are saturated with water at the FSP, further
increases in moisture content do not lead to significant changes in the physical properties
of the wood (Rowell, 2012).

Table 2. Specific Gravity of Air-dried and Oven-dried Shrinkage samples

Shrinkage Moistu Wo (g) Volume %Shrin Gg (at Specific Specific
wood re (cm3) kage green) Gravity Gravity
(eq. 12 & (brown’s
samples Conditi 13) formula
on 16 &18)

Air dry

1 17 5.594 1.55677 -195.57 3.5933 1.2157 6.2000

108 9%

2 17 8.105 8.0845 -55.57 1.0025 0.6444 1.1357

58024 92%

3 17 7.755 3.23021 30.965 2.4008 3.4777 3.3385

8056 91%

Oven dry

4 32.96 7.961 9.3283 42.893 0.8534 1.4944 1.1089

36182 28%

5 43.87 7.306 9.5608 48.114 0.7642 1.4728 0.9628

6862 63%

6 31.03 6.423 3.5868 26.329 1.7907 2.4307 3.4670

00568 5%
Note that negative values were exhibited in the shrinkage of wood specimens 1 and 2 because of
unforeseen circumstances in the previous exercise, the wood had experienced swelling from the
different cardinal directions.

Table 2 shows the different specific gravity values of the shrinkage wood
specimens using both the observed values and the brown’s formula. Inputting the observed
values, the specific gravity was computed through the formulas below:

Where:
Gg: Specific gravity at green condition
%Sg: Volumetric shrinkage
%Smax: Maximum volumetric shrinkage

The percentage shrinkage was already provided from the previous exercise and so
only the volume and the specific gravity at green condition (Gg) must be computed in order
to solve for a) the specific gravity given the shrinkage values from green condition to oven
dry condition (GO), as well as, b) green condition to below the fiber saturation point (Gm).

With such at hand, the volume was first computed by multiplying the tangential,
radial and longitudinal measurements of the wood specimens from the previous exercise.
On the other hand, Gg was computed using this formula:

Where:
Wo: Oven Dry weight
ρH2O: Density of water (1 g/cm3)
Vg: Volume

The following volumes were computed for specimens one to six, 1.56 cm3, 8.08
cm , 3.23 cm3, 9.33 cm3, 9.56 cm3 and 3.59 cm3, respectively. These values, together with
3

the oven dry weights of the wood specimens from the previous exercise, were used in order
to calculate for the Gg values of the wood specimens. Ultimately, the following specific
gravity values from green condition to MCs below FSP were calculated for wood specimens
one to three: 1.2157, 0.644 and 3.4777, respectively. For wood specimens four to six, the
following values of Go were also computed: 1.4944, 1.472 and 2.4307, respectively.

Now, other than the aforementioned formulas, the specific gravity of the specimens can
also be computed using equations 16 and 18 of the the brown’s formula below:

(16) (18)

Where:
Gg: Specific gravity at green condition
m: Moisture condition

The former equation is used to compute for the Gm of wood specimens one to three
and the latter is used to compute for Go of specimens four to six. Ultimately, the following
values for specific gravity were computed, 6.2000, 1.1357, 3.3385, 1.1089, 0.9628 and
3.4670, respectively.

When comparing the computed and experimental values, it can be seen that the
specific gravity from both methods garnered almost the same values, apart from
specimens 1 and 2 due to the prior discrepancies of the values from the previous exercise.
On an average, the specific gravity computed from the Brown’s formula had garnered
bigger values than the former formula.

Also, while the Brown's formula is also commonly used for approximation, it is
important to note that the accuracy of any specific formula for calculating specific gravity
can still vary across different wood species and conditions. The accuracy may also depend
on factors such as the moisture content of the wood, the method of measurement, and the
precision of the equipment used.

Table 3. Density of Air-dry and Soaked Swelling Samples

Swelling Moistur Volume Weight Wo Specific Density Density
wood e (cm3) at Gravity (compu (experi
samples Conditi specific ted) mental
on MC eq 14 &
15)

Air dry

1 4.6622 4.60148 7.121 6.8029 1.4784 1.5475 1.5473

67 7571 81082

2 4.5283 12.5778 6.890 6.5914 0.5240 0.5479 0.5478

02 9097 09165

3 3.1085 2.22995 7.206 6.9925 3.1357 3.2315 3.2332

21 1669 32247

Soaked

4 32.840 5.32710 10.271 7.73110 1.45128 1.9281 1.9279

04 6765 5089

5 36.709 4.9606 11.384 8.32418 1.6780 2.2948 2.2940

92014 9891
 6 26.979 2.64241 11.483 3.4214 4.3456 4.3445
01 407 9.0407
93826

Table 3 shows the comparison of computed density and the experimental density of
the wood samples at different moisture conditions. Computed density was first calculated
using equation 1 and 2 below with the given weight at specific %MC and volume that was
taken from the past exercise. Computed density resulted in values greater than 1 except for
wood sample 2 specifically 0.5479 g/cm3 . This is an indication that the wood sample will
float as it is less dense than water having density of 1 g/cm3.
𝑊𝑚
(1) ρ𝑚 = 𝑉𝑚
𝑊𝑔
(2) ρ𝑔 = 𝑉𝑔

The experimental density was then computed using the specific gravity and %MC
using equation 6 and 7. To compute for the specific gravity, oven dry weight was first
calculated using the equation 3 below using the initial weight and moisture content. The
specific gravity was then computed at different moisture conditions using equation 4 and 5
below, wood samples 1-3 were air dried, and 4-6 were soaked resulting in higher moisture
content.

The results of specific gravity were used to determine the experimental density
needed to compare with computed density. Calculated experimental density shows a
decimal discrepancy in the thousandths and ten thousandths places only, indicating that
the 2 ways of calculating the density are almost similar in terms of the results.

𝑊𝑖
(3) 𝑊𝑜 = %𝑀𝐶
1+ 100
𝑊𝑜
(4) 𝐺𝑚 = 𝑉𝑚 𝑥 ρ𝐻2𝑜
𝑊𝑜
(5) 𝐺𝑔 = 𝑉𝑔 𝑥 ρ𝐻2𝑜
%𝑀𝐶
(6) ρ𝑚 = 𝐺𝑚 𝑥 ρ𝐻2𝑜 𝑥 (1 + 100
)
%𝑀𝐶
(7) ρ𝑔 = 𝐺𝑔 𝑥 ρ𝐻2𝑜 𝑥 (1 + 100
)

The discrepancies in the data particularly the density of wood sample 3 is higher
than the other wood samples when it has the lowest moisture content may be caused by
the error in the measurement of volume since it affects the computation of density and
specific gravity. The volume of wood is directly related to its specific gravity, as it indicates
the amount of actual wood substance present in a unit volume of wood (Zobel et al., 1995).
The specific gravity of wood is determined by measuring the weight at a specific moisture
content level (Smith, 2023). As the moisture content of wood increases, its density may also
increase, but this is not a straightforward relationship (PUUINFO, 2020).
 Figure 1. Specific gravity of Shrinkage wood specimens at
different moisture conditions

Proponents of the exercise decided not to include wood samples 1 and 2 in the determination of the
general trend due to defective values acquired in the previous exercise

Figure 1 shows that the general trend for the specific gravity as the moisture
increases is downward. And to reiterate, this is because the specific gravity of wood
decreases with increasing moisture content due to the addition of water, which has a lower
density than the wood material itself. So as wood absorbs moisture, the overall density
decreases, leading to a reduction in specific gravity.

Figure 2. Density of wood samples with different moisture content

Figure 2 shows the relationship how moisture content affects the density of wood.
Generally, the trend is increasing from the first point until the third point, indicating that
density increases as moisture content increases. The trend changed as the moisture
content reached MC% more than FSP, and it again increased towards the last value of %MC.

III. Guide Questions

A. From your results, describe how density and specific gravity vary with changes in
moisture content.

The density and specific gravity of wood are significantly influenced by changes in
moisture content. As wood is a hygroscopic material, it tends to absorb or release moisture
from its surroundings, leading to variations in its weight and volume. When wood absorbs
moisture, its weight increases due to the added water. This leads to an apparent increase in
density. Conversely, as the density of wood also increases, a decrease in specific gravity is
also seen. It is also important to note that the changes in specific gravity only happen below
FSP. From 30% MC to green condition, the specific gravity remains constant

B. Are there differences in specific gravity values among the different samples of the
same species? Why?

Yes, a different specific gravity is computed for each wood specimen because even
with the same species, the structural and physical characteristics such as weight and
density still vary. These values for these properties are crucial in determining and
computing for the specific gravity.

C. Account for discrepancies, if any, between your computed and observed

(experimental) values.

As for the density of the swelling wood samples, the values computed and observed
were almost the same, with discrepancies only ranging between 0.0002 to 0.0010.
However, in the case of the specific gravity of the shrinkage wood samples, values
computed from the brown’s formula had garnered bigger values than the computed values
from the former formula. The discrepancy in values ranged from 0.00002 to 3. 9999

D. What is the significance of density and specific gravity in the use of wood?

Density is a key factor in determining its strength and durability. Denser woods
generally have greater strength and resistance to wear and decay making them desirable
for construction, furniture and flooring. The density also affects the wood's ability to
insulate against sound and heat. Specific gravity, on the other hand, provides insights into
buoyancy and porosity. Woods with higher specific gravity tend to be more resistant to
water absorption, making them suitable for outdoor use or in environments with high
humidity. So ultimately, both are critical metrics that guide the selection and use of wood in
various contexts, ensuring the material's suitability for specific functions based on its
strength, durability, and resistance to environmental factors.

Conclusion
 The results from this experiment provide strong evidence that the density and
specific gravity of wood is significantly influenced by moisture content. As the wood
absorbs moisture, its weight increases due to the added water, and its volume also
increases due to the swelling of the wood fibers. However, the mass of the wood does not
increase proportionally, so the specific gravity of the wood decreases. Also, the specific
gravity of the wood remains constant above the fiber saturation point, which is around 30%
mc. Brown's formula and the oven-dry method are used to calculate the specific gravity of
wood. A wood specimen is weighed and its volume is measured after it has been dried in an
oven until moisture content reaches zero. Brown's formula is used to estimate the specific
gravity of wood based on its moisture content.

In conclusion, two crucial characteristics of wood that are affected by moisture

content are its density and specific gravity. These characteristics are important in deciding
how suitable wood is for different uses.
 References

Dinwoodie, J. M. (2000). Timber: Its Nature and Behavior (2nd ed.). CRC Press.

PUUINFO. (2020). Moisture properties of wood. Puuinfo. Retrieved November 25, 2023,
from
https://puuinfo.fi/puutieto/wood-as-a-material/moisture-properties-of-wood/?lang=
en

Rowell, R. M. (2012). Handbook of Wood Chemistry and Wood Composites (2nd ed.). CRC
Press.

Smith, R. (2023, September 21). Understanding the Specific Gravity of Wood. Wagner
Meters. Retrieved November 25, 2023, from
https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/wood-info/what-is-specific-gravit
y/
Zobel, B.J., Jett, J.B. (1995). The Importance of Wood Density (Specific Gravity) and Its
Component Parts. In: Genetics of Wood Production. Springer Series in Wood
Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-79514-5_4

Tsoumis, G.T., (n.d.). Properties of Wood. Wood Plant Tissue. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Retrieved November 25, 2023, from
https://www.britannica.com/science/wood-plant-tissue/Properties-of-wood

Williamson, G.B., Wiemann, M.C., (2010). Measuring wood specific gravity… Correctly.
American Journal of Botany, 97(9). https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0900243