Development of moisture content prediction model for Larix kaempferi sawdust using near infrared spectroscopy

The moisture content of sawdust must be measured accurately and controlled appropriately during storage and transportation because biological degradation could be caused by improper moisture. In this study, to measure the moisture contents of Larix kaempferi sawdust, the near-infrared reflectance spectra (Wavelength 1000-2400 nm) of sawdust were used as detection parameter. After acquiring the NIR reflection spectrum of specimens which were humidified at each relative humidity condition (25°C, RH 30∼99%), moisture content prediction model was developed using mathematical preprocessings (e.g. smoothing, standard normal variate) and partial least squares (PLS) analysis with the acquired spectrum data. High reliability of the MC regression model with NIR spectroscopy was verified by cross validation test (R² = 0.94, RMSEP = 1.544). The results of this study show that NIR spectroscopy could be used as a convenient and accurate method for the nondestructive determination of moisture content of sawdust, which could lead to optimize wood utilization.