Potential of X-ray computed tomography for 3D anatomical analysis and microdensitometrical assessment in wood research with focus on wood modification

Abstract

Studying structure and chemistry of wood and wood-based materials is the backbone of all wood research and many techniques are at hand to do so. A very valuable modality is X-ray computed tomography (CT), able to non-destructively probe the three-dimensional (3D) structure and composition. In this paper, we elaborate on the use of Nanowood, a flexible multi-resolution X-ray CT set-up developed at UGCT, the Ghent University Centre for X-ray Tomography. The technique has been used successfully in many different fields of wood science. It is illustrated how 3D structural and microdensitometrical data can be obtained using different scan set-ups and protocols. Its potential for the analysis of modified wood is exemplified, e.g. for the assessment of wood treated with hydrophobing agents, localisation of modification agents, pathway analysis related to functional tissues, dimensional changes due to thermal treatment, etc. Furthermore, monitoring of transient processes is a promising field of activity too.

Keywords:

• Microdensitometry
• Multi-resolution X-ray computed tomography
• Modified wood
• Quantitative wood anatomy
• Structural changes
• Time-dependent processes

The authors greatly acknowledge all colleagues at Woodlab-UGent and UGCT for their continuing effort in testing and improving the wide variety of experiments and scanners, as well as all international colleagues for fruitful discussion and collaboration to challenge boundaries within X-ray CT wood based research. The Special Research Fund of the Ghent University is acknowledged for the doctoral grant to Loes Brabant.

This equipment was obtained through the project SimForTree of IWT Flanders (Strategic Basic Research – SBO 060032) and is available for research under the conditions established in general by UGCT and also accessible under the EU Infrastructure project Trees4Future as Transnational Access equipment (Project no. 284181).

© All pictures are property of UGCT and/or WOODLAB (or mentioned otherwise). It is not allowed to use them without permission.

Notes

This paper is part of a special issue on the Sixth European Conference on Wood Modification