Determination of Microfibril Angle in Compression Wood By Means of X-Ray Diffraction Technique

The anomalous physical and mechanical behaviour of compression wood (CW) has to be mainly ascribed to the microfibril angle (MFA) arrangement within the cell wall. Studies have also highlighted that at least two different severity classes can be established according to the intensity (darkness) of the CW colour. The aim of this work has been that of establishing possible relationships between CW severity classes and MFA. Measurements were performed on samples of both compression and normal wood using the X-ray diffraction technique. Results showed different types of intensity diagrams between normal and compression wood, which were characterised by two or three well-separated peaks