Influence of Densification Treatment on The Morphology and Density Profile of Paraserianthes falcataria Laminas

Abstract

Fast-growing wood species have a limited range of applications due to their low density. Despite that, densification technology can be applied to improve its density. In this study, laminas from Paraserianthes falcataria, a low-density wood species, were subjected to viscoelastic- thermal compression (VTC), a densification treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different pre-steaming durations in the densification treatment on the cell lumen deformation and density profile of Paraserianthes falcataria laminas. The laminas were pre-steamed with different durations ranging from 0–30 min, compressed with heat, and cooled down. For cell lumen area measurement, laminas pre-steamed for 30 min had the lowest cell lumen area, where the decrease in the lumens contributed to an enhancement in density. The finding from the density profile measurement indicated that densification treatment had enhanced the density of the laminas by up to 50%, whereby laminas pre-steamed for 10 min achieved the highest density.

Physical and Morphological Changes in Heat-Treated and Densified Fast-Growing Timber Material

“…The densification process was conducted by referring to previous study, where the laminas were compressed using a hot-press machine (100°C, 6 MPa, 920 seconds) equipped with a cooling mechanism [4]. Heat-treated laminas were compressed at 50% compression ratio (CR), while non-heat-treated laminas were compressed at different compression ratios (40%, 50%, 60%).…”

“…The decreasing supply of wood resources has become a growing concern in the last few decades, leading manufacturers to explore alternatives such as low-density wood [1]. However, this wood class has limitations, such as poor density and inadequate mechanical strength [2][3][4]. Therefore, low-density wood has been continuously subjected to treatments as researchers seek to enhance its performance and applicability.…”

“…Heat treatment and densification are promising technologies applied to wood to improve its properties [4,5]. Densification involves wood compression using high pressing temperatures, which enhances their density and mechanical performance [3].…”

“…Densification involves wood compression using high pressing temperatures, which enhances their density and mechanical performance [3]. This treatment modifies the cellular structure of wood, reducing void spaces and making it compact [2,4]. Heat treatment, on the other hand, is a modification method that can alter the polymeric components of wood (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), where the temperature is usually set to 100℃ and above, ranging from 15 to 24 hours [6].…”