The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud.
Forests in Portugal are highly dependent on a short number of wood species, and new species with higher profitability are needed. The <i>Paulownia</i> species has generated great interest due to its fast-growing and relatively good wood properties. However, environmental factors have sho...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/5/700 |
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| author | Bruno Esteves Luísa Cruz-Lopes Hélder Viana José Ferreira Idalina Domingos Leonel J. R. Nunes |
| author_facet | Bruno Esteves Luísa Cruz-Lopes Hélder Viana José Ferreira Idalina Domingos Leonel J. R. Nunes |
| author_sort | Bruno Esteves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forests in Portugal are highly dependent on a short number of wood species, and new species with higher profitability are needed. The <i>Paulownia</i> species has generated great interest due to its fast-growing and relatively good wood properties. However, environmental factors have shown that <i>Paulownia</i> grows differently in each case. This study intends to determine the properties of young Paulownia trees from Portuguese plantations to determine the best age to cut the trees according to their use. The chemical composition (extractives in dichloromethane, ethanol and water, lignin, α-cellulose, and hemicelluloses), heating value, elemental analysis (CHNO), inorganic elements and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and the most important mechanical and physical properties (density, MOE, bending strength, water absorption equilibrium, moisture content, and dimensional changes) were determined for 1-, 3-, and 5-year-old trees. The results show that, chemically, the extractives increased while hemicelluloses decreased with age, and no trend was found for lignin and α-cellulose. The physical and mechanical properties increased with age, except for the MOE and bending strength. The 5-year-old samples presented the best features for pellet production, namely, calorific power, elemental composition CHNO and sulfur, and inorganic elements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:53:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-afad6d4a153d448ca05c5429c008915c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:53:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-afad6d4a153d448ca05c5429c008915c2023-11-23T11:01:28ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-04-0113570010.3390/f13050700The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud.Bruno Esteves0Luísa Cruz-Lopes1Hélder Viana2José Ferreira3Idalina Domingos4Leonel J. R. Nunes5Department of Wood Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade, 3504-510 Viseu, PortugalCentre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society-CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade, 3504-510 Viseu, PortugalDepartment of Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade, 3504-510 Viseu, PortugalDepartment of Wood Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade, 3504-510 Viseu, PortugalDepartment of Wood Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade, 3504-510 Viseu, PortugalPROMETHEUS, Unidade de Investigação em Materiais, Energia e Ambiente para a Sustentabilidade, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua da Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Alvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, PortugalForests in Portugal are highly dependent on a short number of wood species, and new species with higher profitability are needed. The <i>Paulownia</i> species has generated great interest due to its fast-growing and relatively good wood properties. However, environmental factors have shown that <i>Paulownia</i> grows differently in each case. This study intends to determine the properties of young Paulownia trees from Portuguese plantations to determine the best age to cut the trees according to their use. The chemical composition (extractives in dichloromethane, ethanol and water, lignin, α-cellulose, and hemicelluloses), heating value, elemental analysis (CHNO), inorganic elements and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and the most important mechanical and physical properties (density, MOE, bending strength, water absorption equilibrium, moisture content, and dimensional changes) were determined for 1-, 3-, and 5-year-old trees. The results show that, chemically, the extractives increased while hemicelluloses decreased with age, and no trend was found for lignin and α-cellulose. The physical and mechanical properties increased with age, except for the MOE and bending strength. The 5-year-old samples presented the best features for pellet production, namely, calorific power, elemental composition CHNO and sulfur, and inorganic elements.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/5/700agechemical compositionelemental compositionmechanical properties<i>Paulownia tomentosa</i>physical properties |
| spellingShingle | Bruno Esteves Luísa Cruz-Lopes Hélder Viana José Ferreira Idalina Domingos Leonel J. R. Nunes The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud. Forests age chemical composition elemental composition mechanical properties <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> physical properties |
| title | The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud. |
| title_full | The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud. |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud. |
| title_short | The Influence of Age on the Wood Properties of <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> (Thunb.) Steud. |
| title_sort | influence of age on the wood properties of i paulownia tomentosa i thunb steud |
| topic | age chemical composition elemental composition mechanical properties <i>Paulownia tomentosa</i> physical properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/5/700 |
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