Properties of wood surfaces - characterisation and measurement. A review COST Action E35 2004-2008: Wood machining - micromechanics and fracture

Wood surfaces might be considered as geometrical structures combined with position dependent chemical properties. It is possible to access surface properties only from a methodical point of view, e. g., by measuring roughness, colour, surface energy and other features. This type of characterisation remains incomplete because it does not account for the complex interactions of the properties, which are caused by the machining process. A better approach might be to describe the surface as a system of time dependent properties including the history of machining operations performed for a specific purpose. This work presents the advancements in the understanding of wood surfaces achieved in the course of the COST Action E35. The interaction between raw material, machining, and techniques of measurement will be discussed in terms of surface characteristics including the tactile properties of wood surfaces.