Interlaboratory study of automated sorption measurements in wood: method for correcting systematic errors with the commonly used 0.002% min−1 stop criterion
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Many studies that use an automated sorption balance to determine a water vapor sorption isotherm for wood collect data until the moisture content change is less than or equal to 0.002% min −1 (20 µg g −1 min −1 ). This stop criterion has been claimed to give errors in equilibrium moisture content (EMC) predictions of less than 0.001 g g −1 but over the past 10 years, studies have shown that the actual errors can be greater than 0.01 g g −1 because the measurements are stopped well before equilibrium is reached. Despite the large errors associated with this stop criterion, it remains popular due to the speed at which isotherms can be measured. This paper utilizes data from a worldwide interlaboratory study on automated sorption balances to develop a correction method for estimating EMC of western larch ( Larix occidentalis Nutt.) from the moisture content corresponding to the 20 µg g −1 min −1 criterion. The study uses data from 72 relative humidity absorption steps with hold times of 7–10 days from 21 different laboratories and eight different instrument models. EMC is defined based on the inherent mass stability of automated sorption balances determined in the first part of this interlaboratory study. On average the sorption process is less than 80% complete when the 20 µg g −1 min −1 criterion is reached, resulting in a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.006 g g −1 . The correction equation for estimating EMC reduces the MAE to 0.001 g g −1 . The analysis presented in this paper, along with the correction equation, can be considered for certain use cases to reduce systematic errors and shorten measurement times.
Source: Adsorption
Authors: Samuel L. Zelinka, Samuel V. Glass, Natalia Farkas, Emil E. Thybring, Michael Altgen, Lauri Rautkari, Simon Curling, Jinzhen Cao, Yujiao Wang, Tina Künniger, Gustav Nyström, Christopher Hubert Dreimol, Ingo Burgert, Mark G. Roper, Darren P. Broom, Matthew Schwarzkopf, Arief Yudhanto, Mohammad Subah, Gilles Lubineau, Maria Fredriksson, Wiesław Olek, Jerzy Majka, Nanna Bjerregaard Pedersen, Daniel J. Burnett, Armando R. Garcia, Frieder Dreisbach, Louis Waguespack, Jennifer Schott, Luis G. Esteban, Alberto García‑Iruela, Thibaut Colinart, Romain Rémond, Brahim Mazian, Patrick Perré, Lukas Emmerich
Institutions: US Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Aalto University, Bangor University, Beijing Forestry University, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, Institute for Building Materials, University of Primorska, InnoRenew CoE, Missouri University of Science and Technology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Lund University, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Bretagne Sud, Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Matériau Bois, Université de Lorraine, Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, University of Göttingen
Language: English
Subfield: Building and Construction
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,090
Funder: U.S. Forest Service
OpenAlex ID: W4414815105