Investigation of the adhesion performance of some fast-growing wood species based on their wettability

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the adhesion performance of eight fast-growing wood species, namely, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Paraserianthes falcataria, Shorea sp., Toona sinensis, Gmelina arborea, Pinus merkusii, Acacia mangium, and Acacia hybrid obtained from the tropical region. The wettability test was conducted by contact angle measurement, while the adhesion performance was expressed by strength retention (SR) and wood failure (WF) percentages through block shear tested under the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS). Results showed that smaller contact angle for P. falcataria followed by E. cyclocarpum, P. merkusii, T. sinensis, and Shorea indicated that the surfaces were easier to be glued than that of G. arborea, A. mangium, and A. hybrid. It is indicated that high wettability of P. falcataria, E. cyclocarpum, P. merkusii, T. sinensis, and Shorea resulted in the better adhesive spread and more intimate contact between the wood surface and the adhesive as shown by their high SR with high WF percentages.

Keywords

• adhesion
• fast-growing
• performance
• wettability
• wood