The effect of treatment time on dimensionally stability, moisture content and mechanical properties of heat treated anatolian chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) wood

Abstract

In this study, the effect of treatment time on dimensional stability, moisture content, and mechanical properties of heat-treated Anatolian chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) were investigated. Test specimens were subjected to a temperature of 180°C at atmospheric pressure for five different treatment times (2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours). After the heat treatment of the specimens was completed, their moisture contents at relative humidity (RH) conditions of 45, 55, 65, 80, and 95%, their dimensional stabilities, their mechanical properties, e.g., bending strength, modulus of elasticity, and compression strength, were determined. The data obtained were analyzed using variance analysis, and then the statistical analysis of Tukey's test was conducted. The results showed that heat treatment resulted in decreased (i.e., improved) moisture content, enhanced dimensional stability, and reductions of the mechanical properties. The decrease of mechanical properties that resulted from the 12-hour test was greater than the reductions observed for the tests that lasted 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours.