Factors affecting wood bark adhesion for debarking of shrub willow
Debarking has the potential to make short rotation woody crops more economically attractive by both improving the quality of woody material and creating a new product stream from separated bark. Thus, in this research the ultimate strength of the wood bark interface was studied relative to the development and optimisation of debarking systems and strategies. Four genetically different cultivars of shrub willow, three harvest times and different moisture levels were tested at a quasi static extension rate of 0.5 mm min 1. Regression models show that moisture content has a negative correlation with wood bark bond strength, which is similar to observations made on other species. Harvesting time had a significant effect on wood bark strength of shrub willow (p