A study of selected features of Shan Tong variety of plantation paulownia and its wood properties

Abstract

A study of selected features of Shan Tong variety of plantation paulownia and its wood properties. The study was conducted on three-year-old and representative paulownia tree of the Shan Tong variety, from a plantation in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship, Poland. The three-year-old paulownia tree was 4.2 m high and its diameter at butt level was of 11 cm. The tree provided material for the study from its three-year-old shoot, which was divided into three parts: leaves, branches and the main trunk. According to calculations, this typical paulownia tree (a three-year-old shoot) from a plantation accumulated 4.664 kg of carbon in the part above the ground level, which corresponds to the absorption of 17.101 kg of CO2 from the atmosphere. Taking into account the underground part of this plant, it can be estimated that it absorbed over 30 kg of CO2 (on average, ca. 10 kg CO2 per year). The density of paulownia wood in absolute dry state was ca. 250 kg/m3. The width of annual growth rings was ca. 1.5 cm. This kind of wood is highly porous, with porosity of about 85% (good thermal insulation), and at the same time it has favourable resistance properties characterized by the modulus of elasticity of 4.05 GPa.