Abstract
Abstract Exposing timber to temperatures approaching 200 °C causes thermal modification and changes its characteristics. This study evaluates the effect of various levels of thermal treatment on the physical properties of juvenile and mature wood from rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Boards taken from 53-year-old rubber trees were thermally modified at up to 220 °C. Thermal treatment caused decreases on the oven-dried density, equilibrium moisture content, and swellings on juvenile and mature woods of H. brasiliensis. Influence of thermal modification at 180-200 °C in juvenile wood was lower than in mature wood, whereas the treatment at 220 °C caused a greater variation in properties of juvenile wood. The thermally modified wood is a suitable product for use in environments with high levels of relative humidity.
Highlights
IntroductionHevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is a tree native to Brazil and is planted in many Asiatic countries for the production of latex (Severo et al, 2016)
AND OBJECTIVESHevea brasiliensis is a tree native to Brazil and is planted in many Asiatic countries for the production of latex (Severo et al, 2016)
This study evaluates the effect of various levels of thermal treatment on the physical properties of juvenile and mature wood from rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
Summary
Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is a tree native to Brazil and is planted in many Asiatic countries for the production of latex (Severo et al, 2016). After 30 years, a decline in latex production makes further tapping of the trees uneconomical (Severo et al, 2016). In the past, felled rubber trees were either burned on the spot or used as fuel for steam engines, brick making or latex curing. Rubber wood is one of the major resources for making furniture for export and for the production of panel products, such as particleboard, fiberboard (MDF), wood fiber cement-bonded particleboard, and plywood (Severo et al, 2016)
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