Resinous Wood of Pinus pinaster Ait.: Physico-mechanical Properties

Abstract

Pinus pinaster Aiton is the pine with the largest natural area of distribution in Spain and the species that sustains the country’s resin industry, with an annual average production of 3.2 to 3.5 kg per tree. After trees have been tapped, their wood has a high resin content and is of little use because of machining difficulties. For the first time, resinous wood of this species was characterized to compare its physico-mechanical properties with those of non-resinous wood. Significant differences were found in all the properties studied except modulus of elasticity. The resin produced by tapping decreased swelling, probably by reducing accessibility to the –OH groups and decreasing the available spaces during the capillary condensation phase. Similarly, tapping caused an increase in wood density and therefore in hardness, at the same time improving the mechanical properties.

Keywords

• Resinous wood
• Pinus pinaster
• Physico-mechanical properties
• Tapping