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Wood quality assessment of Pinus radiata (radiata pine) saplings by dynamic mechanical analysis

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Abstract

The use of dynamic mechanical analysis was explored as a possible method of screening for wood quality in breeding programmes. Viscoelastic properties along the grain of wood from 18-month-old Pinus radiata saplings were measured using a humidity-controlled dynamic mechanical analyser. Storage modulus and tanδ were determined independently for opposite wood (OW) and compression wood (CW) in 25 trees in the temperature range from 10 to 45 °C at 5 °C intervals at three frequencies (0.1, 1 and 10 Hz) at constant moisture content of 9 %. Storage modulus and tanδ were frequency and temperature dependent. The two wood types did not differ significantly in their storage modulus. But OW exhibited significantly higher tanδ values than CW. The relationship of viscoelastic properties with physical (acoustic velocity, basic density and longitudinal shrinkage) and chemical wood properties was explored. There was a strong correlation (R = 0.76) between storage modulus and dynamic MOE (measured by acoustics). In addition, tanδ was positively correlated with longitudinal shrinkage. Monosaccharide compositions of the cell wall polysaccharides and lignin contents were determined and showed significant differences in the relative proportion of major cell wall components in OW and CW. Correlations between tanδ and xylose, originating from heteroxylans, and lignin content were found for CW, suggesting that the damping behaviour of cell walls is controlled by the matrix between cellulose fibril aggregates.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor John Walker for his valuable advice and comments. This work was supported by the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (PROJ-12401-PPS_UOC).

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Author notes

  1. M. Brennan

    Present address: Scotland’s Rural College, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    M. Sharma & C. M. Altaner

  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

    M. Brennan & P. J. Harris

  3. Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Malleswaram, Bangalore, 560003, India

    S. S. Chauhan

  4. Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    K. M. Entwistle

Authors
  1. M. Sharma
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  2. M. Brennan
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  3. S. S. Chauhan
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  4. K. M. Entwistle
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  5. C. M. Altaner
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  6. P. J. Harris
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Correspondence to M. Sharma.

Additional information

K. M. Entwistle: Deceased on 10 April 2015.

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Sharma, M., Brennan, M., Chauhan, S.S. et al. Wood quality assessment of Pinus radiata (radiata pine) saplings by dynamic mechanical analysis. Wood Sci Technol 49, 1239–1250 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-015-0769-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-015-0769-x

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