This study investigated the effect of oil heat treatment process on colour appearance of cultivated Acacia hybrid. Parameters such as temperatures and treatment time are taken in account due to their influences in enhancing the colour changes of the natural untreated and oil heat treated of the wood from the sapwood right trough the heartwood. Young, natural and untreated A. hybrid would normally have the sapwood having lighter colour than the dark colour heartwood. Turning these timbers into

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... ywood or furniture at this stage will result in uneven colour as the results of the mixture between the sapwood and heartwood. This will decrease the value of the products. Heating the wood at varying temperatures and treatment time would enhance the colour appearance of the young wood. The colour changes in the sapwood and heartwood were measured using Minolta Chroma-meter CR-310 and the results are presented according to the CIE L*a*b* colour co-ordinates system. The results revealed that the rising temperature at certain duration resulted in enhancing and darkening of wood tissues. Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 203 brownish colour. The temperature rather than the treatment time is the most important process variable in controlling the final colour of the treated wood. Changes in L*, a* and b* were affected by treatment temperature, duration of the time exposed and wood types while the changed in colour with sampling height did not show any significant difference. Treatment temperature at 200°C and treatment time of 90 minutes and 220°C at 30 minutes of the sapwood are effective in uniforming the colour of wood to the original colour of the untreated heartwood. Oil heat treatment induced extensive darkening and reddening of A. hybrid wood. This technology can be used to modify acquiring darker tonality of wood to suit the consumers demand. www.ccsenet.org/ijb