QUALITY OF WOOD AND BARK OF EUCALYPTUS CLONES CULTIVATED FOR MEDIUM DENSITY FIBERBOARD PRODUCTION
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Although bark is often considered undesirable in industrial applications, it is an integral part of the tree and is always present. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of wood and bark of Eucalyptus clones cultivated for medium density fiberboard production.
Results: Bark proportion ranged from 8.22% to 10.25%, and heartwood from 26.98% to 36.16%. The basic density of wood ranged from 455 to 502 kg·m⁻³, wood with bark from 447 to 483 kg·m⁻³, and bark from 342 to 368 kg·m⁻³. Bark showed higher extractive (8.59% to 13.21%) and holocellulose (67.70% to 71.43%) contents and lower lignin content (18.20% to 19.99%) compared to wood. pH values ranged from 4.40 to 4.75, being higher in bark. Ash content was significantly higher in bark (1.64% to 2.21%) than in wood (0.18% to 0.29%). The inclusion of bark in wood did not significantly affect density, pH, or chemical composition, indicating its technical feasibility for MDF panel production.
Conclusion: The inclusion of bark in the wood of Eucalyptus clones did not cause significant changes in basic density, chemical composition, pH, or ash content, confirming its technical feasibility for MDF panel production. The most affected properties due to the presence of bark were extractive and ash contents.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The published articles are freely distributed among researchers and social media, and all authors transfer the copyright to Cerne. The research findings can also be used in classroom teaching, conferences, dissertations/theses, and other applications without any restriction. We strongly recommend citing the article to reach a wider audience. The Author also declares that the work is original and free of plagiarism. The authors agree with the publication and are responsible for the accuracy of the information.