Vessel-Fibre Ratio, Specific Gravity and Durability of Four Ghanaian Hardwoods
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Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 29, No. 3 (2009), pp 8-23 8 © 2009 Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) VESSEL-FIBRE RATIO, SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND DURABILITY OF FOUR GHANAIAN HARDWOODS C. Antwi-Boasiako and E. Atta-Obeng Department of Wood Science & Technology, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. ABSTRACT Several factors affect wood durability but the influence of anatomy is scarcely studied. Vessels and fibres sampled across and along stems of Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C. C. Berg) (odum), En- tandrophragma cylindricum (Sprague) Sprague (sapele), Terminalia ivorensis A. Chev. (emire) and Antiaris toxicaria Lesch. (kyenkyen) were studied to understand the relationship between their vessel-fibre (V-F) ratios, specific gravities (SGs) and durabilities. Vessels, fibres and their proportions were examined from macerates and T.S. of prepared slides. While the timbers ex- hibit major hardwood cell-types (e.g. vessels, fibres and parenchyma), intra-stem variability ex- ists with more vessels and greater V-F ratios at the crowns and in sapwoods than at the butts and in heartwoods, unlike for fibres. Inter-specific variation also shows A. toxicaria has the greatest vessel content then T. ivorensis, E. cylindricum and M. excelsa, a contrary pattern for fibre con- tents. V-F ratio ranks as: A. toxicaria > E. cylindricum > T. ivorensis > M. excelsa, while SGs are higher in E. cylindricum (667) and M. excelsa (635) than in T. ivorensis (507) and A. toxi- caria (505), which hardly differ from published data. Except for E. cylindricum, butts have the greatest SGs. Correlations between their V-F ratios and SGs are R2 = 34%, 84%, 32% and 1% respectively. Timbers with greatest vessels and V-F ratios but least fibres and SGs have weak relationship and very low durabilities, as in A. toxicaria (R2 = 1%). However, M. excelsa, which has the strongest V-F ratio and SG relationship (R2 = 84%), is very durable. Keywords: Cell type, durability class, macerates, paratracheal parenchyma, vessel- fibre ratio INTRODUCTION characteristics including anatomy, specific Wood has always served man and contributed gravity, chemistry, physico-mechanical proper- decisively to his survival all through the devel- ties and durability. Anatomically, woods from opment of civilization, as the raw material for different timber species have different cell ar- several products including furniture, flooring, rangements (Irvine, 1961). Within a species, sleepers, dowels and bridges amid other com- the relative proportion of various cell types is petitive materials such as metals, cement (i.e. consistent. However, among species and spe- concrete) and plastics (Tsoumis, 1991). These cies groups (i.e. genera), various kinds of cells functions would require understanding of wood and properties are pronounced (Wilson and Journal of Science and Technology © KNUST December 2009 Vessel-fibre ratio, specific gravity and durability ... 9 White, 1986). Such cell type variation and their wood is most strongly influenced by the vessel- arrangement affect timber characteristics. Hard- to-fibre ratio, among others (Balatinecz et al, woods comprise at least four major cell types: 2001). Panshin and de Zeeuw (1980) reported fibres, vessels, longitudinal and ray paren- that the natural durability of wood is due to chyma. Each may constitute 15% or more of toxic heartwood extractives and principally its the volume of hardwood xylem. Of these, two cell wall constituents (lignifications) and their kinds of longitudinal cells, fibres and vessels, relative distributions in the different cell types. are common. Most conduction occurs through They stated that wood is degradable through the specialized vessels leaving the thick-walled attack by bacteria, fungi and certain insects (highly lignified) fibres the primary function of (e.g. termites). Thus, those with remarkably mechanical support (Esau, 1977). Fibre applies excellent, moderate or no resistance at all to bio to long, narrow cells with closed ends other -deterioration are termed durable, moderately than tracheids (Panshin and de Zeeuw, 1980), and non-durable (or perishable) respectively. tapered and usually thick-walled cells of hard- Properties and proportions of vessels and fibres wood xylem (Tsoumis, 1991). Kollman and of timbers would likely affect their SGs besides Côté (1984) also described vessel as the dis- chemistry and strength. Thus, this study sought tinctive tracheary structure of all hardwoods to determine the fibre-vessel properties and referred to as a pore because, when viewed in their relationship with SGs as well as durabili- cross section, it has a larger lumen than other ties of four Ghanaian timbers [odum (Milicia cell types. They vary in size and shape depend- excelsa (Welw.) C. C. Berg), emire (Terminalia ing upon the wood species and location within ivorensis A. Chev.), sapele (Entandrophragma the growth increment of the stem. Parenchyma cylindricum) (Sprague) Sprague and kyenkyen cells are thin-walled and rectangular, which (Antiaris toxicaria Lesch.)]. contain protoplasm. Lateral types (called ray parenchyma) conduct sap horizontally. Nota- MATERIALS AND METHODS bly, cell types affect wood properties including Preparation of wood samples for various specific gravity (SG), which Haygreen and Bowyer (1996) defined as the ratio of its den- tests sity to the density of water, and is also consid- The four hardwood species were selected from ered the single best indicator of strength and Mim, Brong-Ahafo (in the semi-deciduous for- durability (Shrivastava, 1987). McDonald et al. est of Ghana) based on variation in their natural (1995) citing, Whitmore (1973) and Wiemann durability, minimum felling rate and availabil- and Williamson (1988, 1989), reported that ity. Two discs (30cm), taken from the sapwood while many species have a constant SG, some and heartwood (near the bark and pith respec- tropical wet forest trees show very large in- tively) from the butt (i.e. diameter at breast creases (>200%) from heartwood to the sap- height) and crown (1m beneath the main wood. Wiemann (1990) and McDonald et al. branch) regions of each timber were air–dried, (1995) associated the radial increase in wood cut and planed into radial strips (2×2×20cm) SG probably with one of the following ana- and air-dried to 12-14% moisture content (mc). ο tomical changes: increase in fibre wall thick- They were conditioned (at 25 C and 65%rh) ness, decrease in fibre lumen diameter and in- and further sectioned into the required dimen- crease in fibre frequency. SG is also generally sions for the various tests. related to the proportion of wood volume occu- pied by fibre relative to that occupied by ves- Determination of specific gravity sels (Wilson and White, 1986). Specific gravity was determined based on air- dried weight (12-14% mc) and volume of wood The amounts of cell types also affect wood (Haygreen and Bowyer, 1996). Ten blocks durability, specific gravity and its strength (2×2×5cm) from the sapwood and heartwood properties. For instance, the relative density of sampled from the butt and crown regions of Journal of Science and Technology © KNUST December 2009 10 Antwi-Boasiako and Atta-Obeng each timber were weighed, made air-tight with ate the relationship between vessel-fibre ratio plastic foils and their volumes determined by and specific gravity of each timber. water displacement. The specific gravity of each stake was calculated by dividing the con- RESULTS ditioned air-dried weight by the volume of wa- Brief anatomical properties of the timbers ter it displaced in the formula: Qualitative anatomical descriptions of the four species (i.e. M. excelsa, E. cylindricum, T. W SG , where, W = air-dried weight ivorensis and A. toxicaria) are represented us- (Va Vb) ing micrographs in Plates 1-4 respectively. Plate 1 shows the transverse section (T.S.) of of stake at 12-14% mc, Va = volume of water sapwood and heartwood of M. excelsa from its after immersion, Vb = volume of water before crown and butt regions, as in the other three immersion. timbers. Generally, M. excelsa has medium (100-200µm) to very large (300µm) vessels. Sectioning of wood samples Proportion of solitary vessels is medium with 3 Conditioned stakes (3cm ) from each stem po- two to three radial multiples of the same size. sition of each timber were first softened by Fibre tissue proportion is low (21-40%) to me- boiling in water for 18hrs. 20µm-thick sections dium (41-60%). Axial parenchyma is paratra- from their transverse surfaces were made from cheal, while the ray parenchyma is narrow (≤ each stake (using a sliding microtome), washed 0.5mm) and of uniform width. T.S. of E. cylin- in water and stained in 1% Safranin in 50% dricum (Plate 2) shows it has small (<100µm) ethanol for 10 minutes. The sections were re- to medium ((100-200µm) vessels, solitary with washed in water and passed through a series of 2 - 3 radial multiples, and also of the same size. increasing concentration of ethanol (30, 50, 70, Fibre proportion is low (21-40%) to medium 95 and 100%) for 5mins. each to dehydrate (41-60%). Similarly, axial parenchyma is para- them. The samples were then mounted in Can- tracheal, ray parenchyma uniform and narrow ada balsam. All prepared slides were dried at (≤ 0.5mm). T.S. of the T. ivorensis stem shows 60°C overnight and observations then made its vessels are medium (100-200µm) to large under the light microscope. Fibre, vessel and (200-300µm), solitary with 2 to 4 radial multi- parenchyma tissue proportions were determined ples, and of the same size. Fibre tissue propor- from each sample using ×10 and × 40 objective tion is low (21-40%) to medium (41-60%). and ×10 eyepiece lens with a 20-point dot grid Axial parenchyma is paratracheal (i.e. associ- scale placed progressively at five different posi- ated with pores, and of vasicentric type), ray tions. At each placement, the number of points parenchyma very narrow (≤ 0.5mm) and of covering any tissue was counted and later ex- uniform width (Plate 3).