An experimental study on change of gas permeability depending on pore structures in three species (hinoki, Douglas fir, and hemlock) of softwood

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the pore structure for the heartwood, intermediate wood, and sapwood sections in three species of softwood (hinoki, Douglas fir, and hemlock) and to investigate the correlation of gas permeability depending on pore structure. For this study, gas permeability and pore size were measured by capillary flow porometry, and classification of a novel method was performed to determine the type of pores (through pores, blind pores, and closed pores) based on International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Gas permeability, through pore porosity, and pore size increased from heartwood to sapwood. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that through pore porosity, mean pore size, and bulk density were significant factors affecting gas permeability.