Viscoelastic behaviour of solid wood under compressive loading

To understand the mechanism of bulk wood forming, compressive stress relaxation experiments were performed on radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) specimens with various moisture contents at a temperature of 200 degrees C. The results aided in understanding the time-dependent viscoelastic behaviour with respect to spring-back and microstructural changes. This study clearly demonstrates the commercial feasibility of value-adding applications such as pattern forming on wood panels using a relatively simple, quick and inexpensive procedure. The experimental data were characterised by a three-component model with a spring and a Maxwell element in parallel, which showed very good agreement under different forming conditions.