The Role of Abrasion Resistance in Determining Suitability of Low-Density Plantation Timber for Engineered Flooring

Abstract

Abrasion resistance is an important property for the functional performance and serviceability of timber floors. Although hardness is the conventional criterion used in selecting species for flooring applications, it shows greater variations and restricts the use of low-density species, whereas abrasion resistance could generate a more reliable indication of a product’s surface performance. Eucalyptus nitens is a fast-grown global plantation species extensively available in Tasmania, Australia. Until recently, this material has been perceived as unsuitable for appearance applications such as flooring. This study assesses several engineered flooring prototypes comprised of E. nitens—sawlog managed and fibre-managed resources—compared to an existing market product (E. obliqua and a commercial engineered timber flooring product with UV-cured coating). Tests were performed in accordance with the EN 14354:2016, sandpaper method using Taber abraser and further modified to test flooring prototypes. The highest abrasion resistance was observed in the E. nitens veneer composite product. Fibre-managed E. nitens resulted in the greatest level of abrasion, while sawlog-managed E. nitens was comparable to native regrowth E. obliqua, a commonly used flooring species historically used in Australia. Therefore, the findings from this research suggest there are suitable flooring applications for plantation E. nitens as engineered wood products in some domestic and residential dwellings when compared to existing native products.