Research - Aroma quality wood

All kinds of wood have their own special smell, which is one of the characteristics of wood. For example, pine has a fragrant rosin odor, cypress, arborvitae, and juniper have a cypress scent, cedar has a pungent scent, poplar has a grassy scent, and basswood has a putty scent.

Research shows that there are three main sources of wood smell:

  1. Various volatile organic compounds, tannins, resins, gums and other substances contained in the cell cavity during the normal production of wood;

  2. Some parts of the wood, such as the resin and gum secretions formed by the fungus invading and parasitizing the trunk and nodes due to injury or breaking;

  3. The odor of the product released from the metabolism or degradation of starch or other carbohydrates in the wood by microorganisms parasitizing the wood, that is, the odor of wood decay.

   Generally speaking, the smell of new wood and wet wood is stronger than that of old wood and dry wood, and the smell of sapwood is stronger than heartwood. This is because the freshly cut wood and sapwood have higher moisture content and more soluble extracts. The smell of normal wood growth or the smell formed after injury is the normal smell of wood, which has certain reference value for wood identification. The smell of decayed wood is generally rotten and foul smell, which has little reference for wood identification.

The woody smell is a natural smell, which will give most people a calming effect. At the same time, it is different from the cold stainless steel or marble material, and also different from the cheap feeling of plastic products. Wood gives a gentle tactile experience.