Some physical properties of the date palm stem

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to test some technological performances of date palm stem (Phoenix dactylifera L.) from the region of Marrakech in Morocco with a view to its use in housing construction in southern Moroccan regions. Physical characteristics were determined according to French AFNOR standards. The samples used were respectively 20 mm × 20 mm × 20 mm in the longitudinal, radial and tangential directions. All the results obtained were the average of the measurements on 50 samples. The results obtained showed that the moisture content has an average value of 15 % at the center of stem and 18 % at the periphery and the infradensity has a value of 0.18 g / cm3 in the center and 0.42 g / cm3 in the periphery. For samples from the center, the tangential, radial and longitudinal shrinkage were respectively 2.02 %, 1.77 %, and 0.42 %, while on the periphery of the stem the tangential, radial and longitudinal shrinkage were respectively 3.41 %, 2.98 % and 0.34 %. These results showed that the stem center has better dimensional stability compared to the peripheral region of the stem.

Keywords

• Date palm
• Phoenix dactylifera L.
• Moisture content
• Infradensity
• shrinkage