About this Abstract |
Meeting |
MS&T22: Materials Science & Technology
|
Symposium
|
2022 Undergraduate Student Poster Contest
|
Presentation Title |
Characterizing Wood Species using Electron Microscopy |
Author(s) |
Elliot Frankel, Sara Gibson, Allison Weller, Vincent Du, Timothy Yang |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Sara Gibson |
Abstract Scope |
Wood has unique, architecturally useful properties, and is a highly versatile material. Understanding its material properties is important for optimizing its applications. In this project, the presence of tracheid (typically found in softwood) and fiber (typically in hardwood) cells were explored. The size of pores between and within the cells of hardwoods and softwoods are also different. Secondary electron emission imaging was used to examine fifty species of wood. The project focused on obtaining clear images of pores and cells, and used FIJI software to measure the pore sizes present. The pore size and density were then related to the type of wood to observe general trends between hardwoods and softwoods. However, there are limitations to scanning electron microscopy when it comes to analyzing wood. Future research may include utilizing focused ion beam imaging and mechanical property testing to gain insight on how the structure of wood determines its properties. |