Colorimetry applied to wood science and technology

Abstract

The first wood characteristic perceivable by human vision is the color, with the possibility of indicating its use, in addition to correlating with the demands of the final consumer. The color is a hard parameter to determine due to its subjective nature; therefore methods for its mathematical determination were created, as the comparative method of Munsell and the quantitative method called colorimetry. Over time the second was consolidated because of its high precision. The most commonly used colorimetric method in wood science is the CIELAB system, consisting of three axes, the coordinate L* representing the luminosity or clarity, the coordinate a* representing the red-green axis and the coordinate b* representing the yellow-blue axis. Besides the colorimetric classification of the wood, the colorimetry is efficient in the determination of some properties of the wood, in the evaluation of the effect of the thermal-treatment, of the biodegradant agents´ action and the weathering on the wood. The main objective of this work was to highlight the importance and applicability of colorimetry as a technique applied to wood science and technology.