Summary
Specimens of spruce (Picea abies) were taken to compression failure in the SEM while the backscattered electron imaging was used. Control specimens were taken to failure with no beam exposure. Failure morphology was studied using the secondary electron imaging. Wood exposed to the electron beam during testing showed a glassy fracture, while wood exposed to high vacuum but not to the electron beam showed a ductile fracture. There was found no evidence of any significant brittleness for unexposed wood at different moisture content levels. Although electron beam damage may be reduced, it can never be avoided. Caution is therefore to be exercised in the interpretation of results of compression tests in the SEM.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aiuchi, T.; Ishida, S. 1978: An observation of the failure process of softwood under compression perpendicular to the grain in the scanning electron microscope. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 24(7): 507–510
Bariska, M. 1985: Creep and fracture phenomena in wood tissues. Proc. CSIR Symposium, Vol. 1
Ifju, G. 1964: Tensile strength behavior as a function of cellulose in wood. Forest Prod. J. 14: 366–372
Kayanka, G. 1976: Fracture behavior of single fibers and paper sheets in the scanning electron microscope. Proc. 2nd Int. Congr. on Mech. Behavior of Materials: 1354–1357
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoffmeyer, P., Hanna, R.B. Electron beam damage during testing of wood in the SEM. Wood Sci. Technol. 23, 211–214 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00367734
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00367734