文摘
Tension wood, when kiln-dried, is likely to deform hugely, which is probably caused by a gelatinous layer of the gelatinous fiber. To elucidate the mechanism behind the deformation of tension wood during kiln-drying, the strains experienced by tension wood during a hygrothermal treatment that is akin to an early stage of kiln-drying were investigated. Normal wood elongated along the longitudinal axis after the first treatment and leveled off with repetitive treatments. During the first treatment, tension wood contracted significantly along the longitudinal axis, followed by small subsequent contractions, which occurred during successive treatments. This characteristic hygrothermal behavior of tension wood correlated with the areal ratio of the gelatinous layer. One of the possible reasons why tension wood behaves differently was thought to be particular behavior of gelatinous layer. This finding will contribute to the development of appropriate seasoning method for tension wood by clarifying the mechanism behind the deformation of the gelatinous layer.