Investigating wood and wood-based materials using infrared spectroscopy has since long been explored. Recently, image-based systems have been developed that are used in food and pharmaceutical industries for rapid screening. Such hyperspectral cameras are able to collect spatial and spectral information simultaneously, resulting in a volume with a spectral profile for each pixel of the image. We present here a flexible 2D NIR scanner, implemented in a generic LabView® and MATLAB® framework respectively for image acquisition and data processing. The scanner can be used to evaluate the surface of any wood-based material, either qualitatively or quantitatively given the existence of a proper model to convert the IR signal in a quantitative measure. Examples will be given for the surface of poplar plywood before and after outdoor exposure and the impregnation of treated wood. As such, this technique allows for assessing the variability of specific characteristics in 2D rather than being limited to a single point or average result as is the case with other techniques. In general, 2D NIR scanning is a highly valuable and complementary tool to other non-destructive techniques such as X-ray tomography (structure).

Download document (1.2 Mb)
free for the members of IRG. Available if purchased.

Purchase this document