Determination of the Emissivity of Wood for Inspection by Infrared Thermography

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-contact technique for visualizing the surface temperature of objects based on the radiation emitted. Recently, this non-destructive technique (NDT) has begun to be used for the diagnosis and evaluation of wood structures.In the process of transforming radiant energy into temperature, which is performed by thermographic devices, one of the most significant properties that affects the calculation of temperature is the emissivity of the material being analyzed. Prior knowledge of the emissivity is essential for a thermographic inspection because it quantitatively determines the amount of energy that is actually produced by the material.In this research study, the emissivity of different types of wood has been determined, and the influences of temperature and surface finish of the samples on the emissivity values have been analyzed.