COMPARATIVE COLOUR ANALYSIS OF THERMALLY MODIFIED SELECTED TEMPERATE HARDWOODS AND TROPICAL WOOD SPECIES USING PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS
Keywords:
colour; hardwood; PCA analysis; thermal modification; tropical woodAbstract
Thermal modification is an eco-friendly and cost-effective method for enhancing the optical properties of wood by darkening its colour throughout the cross-section due to chemical changes. In this study, the colour coordinates (L*, a*, b*) of thermally modified temperate hardwoods native to Central Europe were statistically compared to those of selected tropical species. The tested species ‒ European ash, European beech, paper birch, black locust, European hornbeam, and pedunculate oak ‒ were treated at 200°C for 3 hours. The analysis revealed that thermal modification effectively altered their colour, in some cases achieving a visual resemblance to tropical woods. Pedunculate oak and black locust closely resembled wengé, while European beech approximated the appearance of ipé. Other hardwoods only partially matched tropical tones. These findings confirm the potential of thermally modified local hardwoods to substitute tropical species in interior and furniture applications, supporting more sustainable and regionally focused utilization for biological stains.
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