A product semantic study of the influence of the sense of touch on the evaluation of wood-based materials

• Published in: Materials & design Vol. 52; pp. 300 - 307
• Main Authors: Lindberg, Siv, Roos, Anders, Kihlstedt, Annika, Lindström, Mikael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Annan materialteknik; Bearbetnings-, yt- och fogningsteknik; Boards; Consumer study; Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology; Oak; Other Materials Engineering; Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology; Pappers-, massa- och fiberteknik; Perception; Perceptions; Pine; Polylactides; Semantics; Sensory analysis; Tactile; Touch; Wood; Wood design
• ISSN: 0261-3069; 0264-1275; 1873-4197
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2013.05.069

Based on product semantics, this study investigated how the tactile attributes of wood and wood-based composites are perceived and interpreted semantically. The wood-based samples included ash, birch, elm, oak, pine, OSB (oriented strand board), two wood pulp-reinforced polylactide composites, Comp A and B and one wood-fiber reinforced polypropene composite, Comp C. The subjects rated the samples by the descriptive words natural, exclusive, eco-friendly, rough, inexpensive, reliable, warm, modern, snug and solid. The most significant differences between the samples were found for roughness and for the descriptors, reliable, natural and solid. A principal component analysis yielded three attributes based on the tactile perceptions: reliable, old-fashioned and smooth. The solid wood pieces were perceived as natural and oak was perceived as being exclusive. The composite materials presented a greater variation in terms of perceived attributes than the wood specimens.