Sorption and thermodynamic properties of old and new Pinus sylvestris wood

Abstract

The 35°and 50°C isotherms of juvenile Pinus sylvestris L. wood from recently cut trees were compared with those of juvenile wood of the same species previously forming part of an 18th century wooden building in order to determine the thermodynamic properties of the two types of wood through the isotherms. The isotherms were plotted using the gravimetric method of saturated salts in the water activity range of 0.11 to 0.97 for the 35°C isotherm and 0.11 to 0.96 for the 50°C isotherm. The sorption curves were fitted using the GAB method, and the isosteric heat of sorption was obtained by means of the integration method of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. In both types of wood, the net isosteric heat decreases as the moisture content of the specimen increases, and the maximum values of isosteric heat in the new wood are greater than in the old wood, both in adsorption and desorption. This indicates that the bond energy in the new wood is greater than in the old wood. © 2008 by the Society of Wood Science and Technology.