X-ray measurements on wood - spectra measurements

The report concerns simultaneous non-destructive measurements of water content and density of wood. Theoretically, this should be possible using a x-ray equipment newly build at BKM, and this work is an attempt to use the equipment for assessing water content and density of wood samples under laboratory conditions. A number of wood samples with different densities are placed at different relative humidities from 0.5 to 97 %RH. When equilibrium is obtained the samples are measured with the x-ray equipment such that 10 points are measured in the sample followed by measurements outside the sample (free-scanning). In this way 100 points are measured for each wood sample. This produces information about moisture content and density of the samples as water and wood attenuations of the x-rays are different for the different energy levels contained in the x-rays. The "real" density and moisture content for the samples are then measured destructively. Two principal different analysis methods are used on the data obtained from the equipment. The equipment is quite capable to assess the density of wood, whereas the moisture content is obtained with a large standard deviation, which however can be reduced, if the drift of the detector gets under control.