Quality of the Surface of Aspen Wood after Pressing

This paper explores changes in the quality of the surface of aspen wood after pressing. Pressing, a type of processing, facilitates changes in surface quality and smoothness, thereby producing wood suitable for the furniture industry. The results obtained for the pressed wood surface were compared with those obtained for wood surfaces that were not subjected to pressing. Attention was paid to the impact of moisture, the degree of compression, and plasticizing by steam. The change in smoothness/ roughness was monitored in both the longitudinal and transverse directions (relative to the grain). The contact method was used to measure the roughness both before and after pressing. The independent variables of moisture content and degree of compression had the greatest impact on the smoothness/roughness. Plasticizing by steam had no greater impact. Therefore, the non-plasticized aspen wood was determined to be more suitable for the given purpose.