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Assessment of a modification to the Brinell method for determining solid wood hardness

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Abstract

Purpose of this study was to assess a modification to the hardness determination method in order to mitigate the effect of visual measurements on the consistency of Brinell method and accuracy of the results. The amendment has been previously proposed by other researchers and refers to the automated determination of indentation diameter and relies on the ability of modern testing machines to accurately measure indentation depth, through which the calculation of indentation diameter is possible. From the results of this study it was shown that the hardness values acquired by the proposed modification presented statistically significant difference compared to those acquired using the visual method described in EN1534 (Wood and parquet flooring—determination of resistance to indentation (Brinell)—test method, 2000). Moreover, compared to the standard methodology, the application of the proposed amendment led to hardness values which are better correlated to density as well as Janka hardness for the six different solid wood species tested. Furthermore, the proposed modification resulted to hardness values which seem to be less affected by the presence of varnish coatings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Wood & Furniture Design and Technology, Technological Educational Institution (TEI) of Thessaly, 11 V. Griva Str., 43100, Karditsa, Greece

    Miltiadis Nikolakakos, Evaggelos Sakellariou & Dimitrios Birbilis

  2. Hellenic Agricultural Organization “Demeter”, Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems and Forest Products Technology, Laboratory of Wood Anatomy and Technology, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia, 11528, Athens, Greece

    Charalampos Lykidis

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  1. Charalampos Lykidis
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  2. Miltiadis Nikolakakos
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  3. Evaggelos Sakellariou
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  4. Dimitrios Birbilis
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Correspondence to Charalampos Lykidis.

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Lykidis, C., Nikolakakos, M., Sakellariou, E. et al. Assessment of a modification to the Brinell method for determining solid wood hardness. Mater Struct 49, 961–967 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0551-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0551-4

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