ISSN 2375-0979
African Journal of Wood Science and Forestry ISSN 2375-0979 Vol. 11 (5), pp. 001-015, May, 2023. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Effect of Age on the Strength and Durability Properties of Gmelina arborea (Roxb.) Wood Treated with Lactic Acid
Owoyemi, Jacob Mayowa and Akinwamide Titus Oluwatoba
Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.
Accepted 16 May, 2023
Abstract
The maturity of wood is one of the determining factors for utilization. Gmelina arborea wood samples were obtained from two different age plantation trees of 15 and 10 years in Akure, Nigeria. Oven-dried samples were impregnated with a 60% solution concentration of Lactic acid in a vacuum-pressure impregnation chamber. Impregnated samples were cured for a complete modification process in the oven. The strength property using the 3-point loading apparatus and biological durability assessment was carried out to examine the effect of age and lactic acid treatment according to the American Society of Testing Materials standard. Durability specimens were subjected to termites’ attack at the timber graveyard for the duration of 16 weeks and the gravimetric weight loss was obtained after the exposure. On average, density, modulus of elasticity and Modulus of rupture of the 10- and 15-year G. arborea treated with lactic acid were 421.83kg/m3 and 469.24kg/m3, 14646.99N/mm2 and 12127.63N/mm2, and 103.46N/mm2 and 90.10 N/mm2 respectively. The results showed that there is a significant improvement in the property’s enhancement of G. arborea impregnated with lactic acid which varies with the curing time.
Keywords: Durability; less-durable; Modification; strength properties; and enhancement.