Artificial weathering of heat-treated pines from the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Samples from the two most common pines grown in Portugal (Pinus pinasterAit) and Spain (Pinus radiata, D. Don) were heat-treatedin industrial facilities in accordance with ThermoWood ®class D. For both species, the variation in surface properties, ofuntreated and heat-treated wood after artificial weathering from 75 to 750 h, is presented. The analysis included the determination of color, roughness,gloss,and wettability before exposure and after each artificial weatheringperiod.Untreatedwoods became darkerfaster, while in heat-treated woods,lightness remained approximately constant until 750 h of artificial weathering. Both untreated and heat-treatedwood becamemore reddish in the beginning of the weathering process,turning greener for longerexposure times. Untreated woods became yellower in the beginning,turning into blueish tones later. Heat-treated wood turned slightly yellower until 750 h of weathering. Gloss decreased for untreated wood with no significant changes in heat-treated wood. Despite the changes, the gloss of both untreated and heat-treated wood convergedto similar values.Roughness increased for both untreated and heat-treated woods. Artificial weatheringincreased the wettability of heat-treated wood.