Surface investigation of photo-degraded wood by colour monitoring, infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging

The aim of this investigation is to study the changes occurring on the surface of poplar wood exposed to artificial irradiation in a Solar Box. Colour changes were monitored with a reflectance spectrophotometer. Surface chemical modifications were evaluated by measuring the infrared spectra. Hyperspectral imaging was also applied to study the surface wood changes in the visible-near infrared and the short wave infrared wavelength ranges. The data obtained from the different techniques were compared to find the possible correlations in order to evaluate the applicability of the Hyperspectral imaging to investigate wood modifications in a non-invasive modality. The study of colour changes showed an important variation due to photo-irradiation which is the greatest change occurring within the first 24 hours. Infrared spectroscopy revealed that lignin degrades mainly in the first 48 hours. Concerning Hyperspectral imaging, the spectral features in the visible-near infrared range are mainly linked to the spectral shape, whereas in the short wave infrared cellulose and lignin affect shape and reflectance levels. The proposed approach showed that a correlation can be established between colour variation and wood degradation in the visible-near infrared range; furthermore in the short wave infrared region surface chemical changes can be assessed. © 2013 Giorgia Agresti et al.