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Phenomenon of Wood Colour—2nd Edition

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 763

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Wood Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 96001 Zvolen, Slovak Republic
Interests: properties and structure of wood; processing of wood
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Wood Processing and Biomaterials, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: wood characterisation; wood structure and properties (mechanical testing, physical testing); wood modification; wood quality; wood-based materials (generally lignocellulosic materials, primarily wood-fiber boards—manufacturing process, development and properties); creep of wood and wood based materials; wood processing; recycling technologies; impact of silvicultural measures; wood (forest) sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The perception of wood character is closely linked to its colour. Various factors affecting wood—such as environmental exposure through its surface, intensive heat transfer, or energy transformations that break chemical bonds within wood compounds—significantly influence its colour. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving wood colour alteration during these processes is highly desirable. Intelligent processing and utilisation of wood demand a thorough knowledge of its properties, including colour, which is often associated with wood quality. Moreover, the final purchasing decision of customers is influenced by the colour of wood products.

Wood products are commonly treated with non-transparent coatings or transparent lacquers. The colour of wood is assessed both visually by observers and instrumentally through various measurement devices. Establishing correlations between wood colour and its physical properties serves as an efficient tool in wood evaluation methods. Colour design also partially contributes to the perception of wood texture. The assembly of individual wood pieces into a final product, based on their texture and colour, presents challenges to designers and researchers aiming to develop smart, stable, and value-added wood products.

We invite experimental and theoretical studies addressing, but not limited to, the following topics related to wood colour:

  • Descriptions of wood colour in verbal or digital formats;
  • Measurement techniques and statistical analyses of wood colour;
  • Correlations between wood colour and other wood properties;
  • Changes in wood colour during and after exposure to various forms of energy;
  • Processes of creating or restoring new wood surfaces;
  • Wood colour as a non-homogeneous, anisotropic, and porous material;
  • Reflectance and transmittance of wood;
  • Wood colour under varying illumination conditions;
  • Colour characteristics of wood compounds, tissues, and defects;
  • Effects of different coatings on wood colour;
  • Wood texture as the spatial distribution of colour on wood surfaces;
  • Colours and textures of wood-based smart materials.

Dr. Richard Hrčka
Dr. Vlastimil Borůvka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wood
  • wood-based materials
  • colour
  • processes
  • surface
  • discolouration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 1698 KB  
Article
Discolouration of Artificially Irradiated Fir (Abies alba L.) Wood Extractives
by Viera Kučerová and Richard Hrčka
Forests 2025, 16(12), 1791; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16121791 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 423
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of thermal treatment and subsequent artificial irradiation on the colour stability of fir (Abies alba L.) wood extractives. Wood samples were heat-treated at temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 280 °C for varying durations, and their extractives [...] Read more.
This study investigates the influence of thermal treatment and subsequent artificial irradiation on the colour stability of fir (Abies alba L.) wood extractives. Wood samples were heat-treated at temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 280 °C for varying durations, and their extractives were isolated using Soxhlet extraction with an ethanol–toluene solvent mixture. The extract solutions were subjected to accelerated ageing under xenon light irradiation for up to 400 h, and colour changes were systematically monitored using a spectrophotometer in transmission mode. The amount and colour of extractives varied with treatment temperature. The extractive yields decreased up to 150 °C, increased between 150 °C and 240 °C, and declined again above 250 °C. The initial colours of the extract solutions ranged from yellow to brown, depending on the treatment conditions. During irradiation, colour differences (ΔEab) progressively decreased, and after 400 h, the solutions became nearly colourless, with lightness values approaching 100. The decline in b* values indicated a loss of yellow hue, while a* values shifted from red or green towards neutrality. These results confirm that fir wood extractives are highly sensitive to both heat and UV exposure, leading to significant discolouration and reduced colour saturation. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying fir wood colour changes and contribute to the broader knowledge of wood ageing processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenomenon of Wood Colour—2nd Edition)
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