FURFURILASI PADA KAYU TUSAM (Pinus merkusii Jungh. et de Vr.) DAN MANGIUM (Acacia mangium Willd.)

Abstract

Wood specimens of tusam (Pinus merkusii Jungh. et de Vr.) and mangium (Acaciamangium Willd.) were air-dried to approximately16-18% moisture content. One group of the specimens was further oven-dried ttJ reach moisture content of 6-8%. Furfurylation was undertaken by soaking wood specimens/or 24 hours in a 98%.furfuryl alcohol solution containing 0.35% (vlv) of ZnCl2 as catalyst. Furfurylated specimens were then cured at 1 OO°C for 48 hours. Wood characteristics observed in this study include dimentional stability, hardness, compression strength and shear strength.

Test results showed that the initial wood specimens of tusam had a higher radial but a lower tangential swelling rates than those specimens of mangium. Furfurylation could improve wood dimentional stability of both species by more than 90% on tusam and 75% on mangium.

Values of hardness, compression strength and shear strength of tusam were markedly lower than mangium. After furfurylation, however, tusam had a greater hardness than mangium. Furfurylation could increase hardness, compression strength and shear strength of tusam by more than 94%, 83% and 76% respectively. A lower wood mechanical improvements were encountered with the mangium specimens.