Equipment

Department of Wood Science and Wood Protection

Equipment for testing the structure and properties of wood

• INSTRON 5- and 10-ton testing machines with Bluehill software – standard testing and examination of wood strength properties on small laboratory samples according to the current ISO standards.
• Shimadzu 1-ton testing machine for performing strength tests on small laboratory specimens.
• Vexus SBRV-100D hardness tester – Brinell testing of wood hardness.
• Olympus BX40 optical research microscope – microscopic analysis of wood and other organic materials.
• Sledge microtome – making microscope slides.
• WinCell software with full instrumentation – analysis of microscopic images and measurements of structural elements of wood or other ligno-cellulosic materials.
• WinDendro software with full instrumentation – wood grain analysis.
• Lintab Rinntech measuring microscope – determination of annual growth (rings).
• Acoustic chamber – testing the acoustic insulation of building materials.
• A range of wood moisture meters (resistive, capacitive) from companies such as TANEL, GANN, WRD – wood moisture determination.
• RADWAG moisture meter – determining the moisture content of wood.
• A range of dryers and warmers, as well as cold rooms, including freezers.
• Spectrophotometer (colorimeter) to describe colour and its changes.
• ISOMET 2104 for the analysis of thermal properties of wood and wood materials.
• Equipment for determining room climate parameters
• A range of devices (humidity meters, thermometers, anemometers) to determine room climate parameters for momentary readings and for continuous operation.
• Physico-chemical testing facilities for wood and other lignocellulosic materials
• Shimadzu LC20 liquid chromatograph with two refractometric, UV-Vis spectrophotometric and conductometric detectors; operation in modes: HPLC-NP, HPLC-RP, IEC, SEC, ISEC and in isocratic or gradient elution system.
• Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus gas chromatograph coupled to MS-QP2010 mass spectrometer optionally equipped with FRONTIER LAB’s EGA/PY-3030D Pyrolyser using carrier gas (helium 5.0). The chromatograph is equipped with a library of NIST11, NIST11b spectra.
• The chromatograph is equipped with a library of NIST11, NIST11b spectra. Excitation system – air-cooled molybdenum anode X-ray tube with a maximum power of 30 W, a maximum current of 0.8 mA and a maximum voltage of 50 kV. The measuring chamber has a positioning accuracy of the measuring table of 2.5 μm. The chamber dimensions are 540 x 600 x 2500 mm. The image on the computer monitor is displayed using a dual camera system to determine the position of the sample relative to the detector and to establish the measurements. Measurement possible in air and inert gas atmosphere (helium 5.0).
• Ubbelohde viscometer with automatic flow time measurement (Visco-Clock system).
• Shimadzu UVmini-1240 spectrophotometer with measurements from 190 nm to 1100 nm.
• Equipment for pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass (possible treatment methods: SE – steam explosion, LHW – liquid hot water, SE-CO₂ – steam explosion with CO₂, SAA – soaking aqueous ammonium).
• Ozone generator by A2Z Ozone Systems (model OZ-3G); feed gas O₂ or air; maximum concentration of ozone received up to 25 g/m³. Feed gas flow up to 3 dm³/min. The ozone generator can be connected to a flowmeter installation to determine accurate flow rates.
• Chamber for thermal and chemical modification of wood on a semi-technical scale with a working volume of 0.25m³ and 1.1 m long; the device is equipped with a control program; the chamber has the possibility of conducting the process in steam, inert gas atmosphere (CO2, N2), in liquids (oil), as well as under negative pressure; maximum working temperature – 250°C, the chamber has a thermo-flow.

Analysis equipment for the protection and preservation of wood

• Resistograph 1410 RINN – investigating the state of preservation of timber elements and trees.
• Microsonic pulse tomograph ARBOTOM – non-destructive testing of the state of preservation of wooden elements.
• Lyophilizer Alpha 1-4 LD plus CHRIST – preservation of archaeological wood.
• Videoendoscope – detection of wood damage in buildings.