Wooden freezing – Preliminary evaluation of its use

Abstract

The freezing of wood is a well known method in some study areas, such as conservation and restoration of works of art, as well as in some steps of industrial processes, such as the drying of wood pieces of small size. However, the practice of this technique led, in an empirical way, to the perception of defects (aestethic and phisical) in wood under this treatment. So, the aim of this work was to study the effect of freezing wood pieces and its influence in industrial processes and procedures of conservation and restoration of works of art. The obtained data showed that the wood pieces under this treatment had its elasticity reduced, getting a more fragile and more plastic behavior. It was also noticed that the wood pieces of higher moisture content showed a higher percentual of deffects, such as internal cracks and end checks, and the most affected elements were the ray cells. Thus the method of freezing is not indicated for the treatment of art works and is acceptable in some industrial processes which do not require a better finish.