Evaluation of chemical compositions, air-dry, preservation and workability of eight fastgrowing plantation species in Costa Rica

Abstract

Evaluación de la composición química, secado al aire, preservación y trabajabilidad de ocho especies de rápido crecimiento en plantación de Costa Rica AbstrAct Costa Rica has successfully planted various forestry species for wood production. However, the use of their wood is limited, due to poor knowledge about their chemical properties, air-dry, preserved and workability performance. The present study details information of these properties for the species: Alnus acuminata (Aa), Acacia mangium (Am), Bombacopsis quinata (Bq), Cupressus lusitanica (Cl), Swietenia macrophylla (Sm), Terminalia amazonia (Ta), Terminalia oblonga (To) and Vochysia guatemalensis (Vg). Among the results obtained, it was found that the wood of these species is in general slightly acidic, except Bq, which presented tendency to be basic. Different species show considerable variability in the content of holocellulose, lignin and extractable micronutrients. Regarding micronutrients, and in relation to other species it was found a high percentage in Vg. The use of boron as a preservative, may be applied in the 8 plantation species. The presence of heartwood in some species made it not possible to be preserved by the vacuum-pressure method, but the sapwood was possible to preserve in all species. The drying rate increased with increasing board thickness and drying time was different among species. The fastest drying rate was found in Ta and Am, followed by Sm, To, Aa and Cl with intermediate values and Vg with the slowest air-drying rate. Am, Bq, Cl, Sm and To present from excellent to good planing, sanding , drilling and molding, but Ta, Bq, Aa and Vg, especially Aa and Vg, in the workability operations were catalogued as poor or very poor quality.

Variation and Genetic Control of the Heartwood, Sapwood, Bark, Wood Color Parameter, and Physical and Mechanical Properties of Dipteryx panamensis in Costa Rica

“…The values found for physical properties (SG, MC-G, GD, TS, and RS) and the different mechanical properties studied (MOR and MOE in bending test, compression stress, shear stress, and Janka hardness) for the different origins (Figure 3) and the different families (Table 2) of 8-yearold D. panamensis present some differences from those reported by Tenorio et al [22] for D. panamensis trees from 13-year-old plantations. For example, these authors report higher values of SG, MC-G, GD, TS, and RS than those found in this study (Table 2), resulting in higher mechanical property values in the wood of Tenorio et al [22]. On the other hand, the highest values of SG, GD, RT, and TS were reported for wood from trees growing in a natural forest [23], values higher than those obtained in this study for the different provenances (Figure 2) and the different families (Table 2).…”

“…The values of BP, HWP, and SWP found for the different families (Table 1) are lower than those reported by Tenorio et al [22] for D. panamensis trees. The values found for physical properties (SG, MC-G, GD, TS, and RS) and the different mechanical properties studied (MOR and MOE in bending test, compression stress, shear stress, and Janka hardness) for the different origins (Figure 3) and the different families (Table 2) of 8-yearold D. panamensis present some differences from those reported by Tenorio et al [22] for D. panamensis trees from 13-year-old plantations. For example, these authors report higher values of SG, MC-G, GD, TS, and RS than those found in this study (Table 2), resulting in higher mechanical property values in the wood of Tenorio et al [22].…”

“…The difference that occurred between the values of general properties (Table 1), physical properties (Figure 2, Table 2), and mechanical properties (Figure 3, Table 3) and those reported by Tenorio et al [22] and Blanco et al [23] is explained by the difference in tree age and maturity. In the present study, 8-year-old trees were sampled, which are juvenile wood; in the study conducted by Tenorio et al [22], the trees tested were 13 years old, while in the study of Blanco et al [23] the trees were from a natural forest, which indicates that they tested mature trees. When the trees (their trunks) achieve managed dimensions, i.e., dimensional usage in the wood industry, heartwood will dominate in the volume of the trunks.…”

Acetylation of tropical hardwood species from forest plantations in Costa Rica: an FTIR spectroscopic analysis

“…Sapwood, originating from nine Costa Rican fast-growing plantation species, was utilised in the work. It is well established that only sapwood of these tropical hardwood species has a good permeability [25,36,37]. Species used included Cedrela odorata, Cordia alliodora, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Gmelina arborea, Hieronyma alchorneoides, Samanea saman, Tectona grandis, Vochysia ferruginea and Vochysia guatemalensis.…”

Model Calibration of Prefabricated Timber Wall Frames Made of Hieronyma Alchorneoides and Gmelina Arborea Timber Using Nail and Screw Fasteners

“…Furthermore, a great variety of species has been planted as part of the reforestation activities in Costa Rica, resulting in an important contribution to the lumber market (Tuk, 2010;Moya et al, 2015;. Mechanical properties of G. arborea lumber are among the most extensively studied in Costa Rica and their great potential has been demonstrated for uses such as structural components , in lumber, and other specifi c uses (Tenorio et al, 2011;Tenorio, 2012).…”