Investigation the acoustic behavior of poplar and spruce species reaction wood using ultrasonic technique

The acoustic behavior of reaction and normal woods, phase velocity, group velocity and attenuation coefficients in the main directions for two wood species (Populus deltoids & Picea abies), were measured and compared. The results did not show any significant difference between phase velocities of normal and tension wood at the same ring in poplar wood. But in compression wood from spruce, phase velocity in longitudinal direction was lower; while in transverse direction was higher compared to normal wood. Group velocity as an index of speed of wave energy in compression wood also was less than that in normal wood. In radial and tangential directions, there was no significant difference between group velocity of compression and normal woods of spruce. In poplar species, in all main directions, the measured group velocities, both for tension and normal woods were identical. The result also showed that the attenuation coefficients in reaction wood of two wood species (poplar and spruce) were less than those of normal wood in all directions. In compression and tension woods, a high correlation was observed between acoustic radiation and wood density.