Could colour predict hardness of hot-ptressed self-laminated beech boards

Laminated self-bonded densified boards were obtained by pressing five veneers of beech(Fagus sylvatica L.) parallel-grain-oriented, without adhesive and without surface activation. Theboards were pressed according to an experimental design based on fifteen different combinations ofpressing parameters: temperature (200, 225, and 250°C), pressure (4, 5, and 6MPa), and time (240,300, and 360s). The image of the 40 board edges (radial sections) was analysed with ImageJ softwarein the red-green-blue (RGB) colour space. Brinell hardness tests were also performed. The resultsshow an almost linear relation between the brightness values (defined as the arithmetic mean of theRGB channels) and the Brinell hardness. It is suggested that brightness is a predictor of strength forself-bonded laminated boards.<p>Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20151225 (dicsan)