A method to determine density in wood samples using attenuation of 59.5 KeV gamma radiation

A nondestructive method to determine the density of wood samples is presented. The photon mass attenuation coefficient in samples of Pino Radiata was measured at 59.5 KeV with a radioactive source of Am-241. The value of 0.192 ± 0.002 cm2/g was obtained with a gamma spectroscopy system and later used on the determination of the mass density in sixteen samples of the same species. Comparison of these results with those of gravimetric method through a linear regression showed a slope of 1.001 and correlation factor of 0.94. (author)