Treatability and penetration indices of four lesser-used Myanmar hardwoods

• Depletion of Myanmar's top commercial timbers has grown the attention towards lesser-used timbers, which present: low durability and require protection against biodegradation. This research tested the treatability of four nondurable Myanmar hardwoods: Bombax ceiba, Bombax insigne, Spondias pinnata and Tetrameks nudiflora. Conditioned heartwood samples were pressure-treated according to standard schedules using a staining solution. Solution uptake,penetration depths, and percent of each cell type penetrated were determined and discussed according to wood anatomical characteristics. B. ceiba, B. insigne and S. pinnata had high uptakes and good penetration making them promising for protective treatment. T nudiflora was also classified as easy to treat based on its penetration index but as generally difficult to treat according to retention and depth of penetration. This different behavior was attributed to the tyloses occluding its vessels. The results are useful for the development of specific treatment schedules to achieve the retentions and penetration required for the effective protection of these lesser-used hardwoods.

Subject headings

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Trävetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Wood Science (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)