Colorimetric indices of juvenile Eucalyptus saligna wood

Abstract

As color is one of the organoleptic attributes that influence the use of wood for different purposes, the objective of this work was to characterize the colorimetric indices for the qualification of juvenile E. saligna wood. The evaluated woods were obtained from a seven-year-old experimental plantation. Three trees were sampled. These were sectioned into logs, and the wood of the first log (base log), with a length of 2.0 meters, was evaluated. For the characterization of the color, specimens in dimensions 150 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm were obtained. The evaluations were made only in heartwood. The colorimetric parameters were evaluated using a spectrophotometer, obtaining values for luminosity (L*), chromatic coordinates of the ranges from green to red (a*) and from yellow to blue (b*), color saturation (C*) and the ink angle (h*). The evaluated woods presented the following average values for the parameters and colorimeric indices: Luminosity (L*) = 70.07; a* = 8.89; b* = 18.52; saturation (C*) = 20.56; and ink angle (h*) = 64.30º. Juvenile wood of E. saligna can be characterized as having a grayish-pink color. Such observation is responsible for the indication of multiple uses of these woods as solid pieces.