Physical and mechanical properties of Tectona grandis wood after oil heat treatment process

Abstract

A study was carried out to investigate the effect of an oil heat treatment process on the physical and mechanical properties of the 10 and 15-year-old cultivated Tectona grandis wood. All the wood specimens typically possess the sapwood having lighter colour than the dark colour heartwood, and turning these woods into products at this stage results in uneven colour due to the combination of sapwood and heartwood. The situation was to decrease the aesthetic value of the product. Therefore, the oil heat-treatment process enhanced and improved the physical and mechanical properties of the wood in the long run. In designing this study, factors such as the wood height, wood portion, temperatures applied, and treatment duration are considered. The sapwood and heartwood of wood underwent the hot oil treatment process using oil palm crude oil at 160°C, 200°C, and 240°C for 2 hours., respectively. The physical and mechanical properties of the treated wood were determined following the ASTM standards. The relationship between the physical and mechanical properties and treatment variables was determined using the correlation analysis. The results showed that temp. is one of the main variables affecting the properties of treated wood.