Forest Products Laboratory

Title: The role of earlywood and latewood properties on dimensional stability of loblolly pine

Author: Kretschmann, David E.; Cramer, Steven M.

Date: 2007

Source: Proceedings of the Compromised Wood Workshop, 2007 January 29-30. Christchurch, NZ : Wood Technology Research Centre, School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, 2007: pages 215-236.

Description: The role of tree ring location and height within tree has a very significant impact on the properties of earlywood and latewood. This paper explores the role of earlywood and latewood properties on the dimensional stability of loblolly pine. Test results from isolated 1 mm by 1 mm by 30 mm pieces of earlywood and latewood show the differences in earlywood and latewood make different contributions to the stability of timber. Latewood is more sensitive to changes in moisture and shrinks longitudinally differently than earlywood. Influencing the proportion and properties of latewood can have a significant impact on the dimensional stability of wood. Determining hemicellulose chemistry may be a tool to identify material that is susceptible to high longitudinal shrinkage.

Keywords: Wood chemistry, wood anatomy, mechanical properties, wood moisture, hemicellulose, juvenile wood, tree rings, shrinkage, latewood, earlywood, loblolly pine, dimensional stability, moisture content

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Citation

Kretschmann, David E.; Cramer, Steven M.  2007.  The role of earlywood and latewood properties on dimensional stability of loblolly pine.   Proceedings of the Compromised Wood Workshop, 2007 January 29-30. Christchurch, NZ : Wood Technology Research Centre, School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, 2007: pages 215-236..