Effect of drying methods on the discoloration of three major domestic softwood species in Korea

Japanese pine, Korean pine and larch are three major softwood species in Korea. Their colors are relatively light, thus easily discolored due to drying and UV irradiation. In this study, they were dried with five different drying methods, steam treated and exposed to weathering. Their colors were measured using a spectrophotometer and comparisons made both among species and drying methods. For Japanese and Korean pines, high temperature dried and steam-dried specimens showed distinct color differences compared with the controls. Steam treatment discolored the dried specimens of Japanese and Korean pines but did not discolor those of larch. After weathering for 144 days the specimens of Japanese pine showed slight color differences among drying methods.