COLORIMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT ANATOMICAL SECTIONS OF MUIRAPIRANGA (Brosimum sp.) WOOD

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate and compare colorimetric characteristics of three anatomical sections (transverse, tangential and radial) of ‘muirapiranga’ bloodwood (Brosimum sp.), by using the International Commission on Illumination system, CIELAB 1976 (Comissão Internacional de Iluminantes). By using 10 samples obtained from furniture traders in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul (AC), the following colorimetric parameters were determined: lightness (L *), red-green axis (a*), blue-yellow axis (b*), chrome (C) and hue angle (h*). An average 34 readings were taken per specimen in each of the planes or sections. The following colorimetric parameters were derived for Brosimum sp. species: L*=42.13, a*=18.87, b*=15.05, C=24.23 and h*=37.86. There were variations in color, indicating significant differences among the three sections in question. As to reflectance, the transverse section (6-28%) was found to reflect less light than the tangential (6-43%) and radial sections (7-49%). Depending on which anatomical plane is chosen, different shades of red can be obtained, allowing forming similarly shaded wood batches.