Longitudinal Gas Permeability of Normally-Growing and Slow-Growing Black Spruce Wood

摘要

Introduction Black spruce (Picea mariana) is the most important species for softwood lumber production in Eastern Canada. This species has a wide geographical distribution and it is known that growing conditions have a significant impact on its wood properties, especially on wood drying behavior. Higher wood density and wetwood presence in slow-growing black spruce (yellow spruce) trees in northern regions lead to a significant increase in drying times, energy costs and downgrade costs as compared to normally-growing trees (Ward and Pong 1980). it is therefore necessary to study the drying behavior of both slow-growing and normally-growing black spruce. The permeability of wood, indicative of the case with which fluids can pass through, was used as an indicator of drying rate above the FSP. Therefore, the difference of permeability of both slow-growing and normally-growing black spruce were studied. Meanwhile, the density, the growth rate effect on permeability and drying behavior were also discussed.