Detennination ofFiber Saturation Point of Selected Sarawak and Exotic Wood Species

Low, Shook Ling (2009) Detennination ofFiber Saturation Point of Selected Sarawak and Exotic Wood Species. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Wood is hygroscopic and therefore absorption and desorption occur naturally to achieve an equilibrium of moisture contents between wood and the surrounding environments. In wood, the sorption rate is different for different temperature and was dependent on wood species. Thus, fiber saturation point (FSP) is the key to determine the maximum amount of water that the composite layers of the cell walls can hold at a particular temperature and pressure. The FSP of 10 selected Sarawak wood species and 4 exotic species were determined by Awoyemi (adsorption-desorption intercept) method, Walker method, Awoyemi-Walker method and Vorreiter method. Results showed that the mean FSP of each species was significantly different (P<0.05) between the four methods. The FSP by Awoyemi method ranged from 19.83% to 61.25% between species, while the FSP for Walker's method, Awoyemi-walker's and Vorreiter method was range from 9.23% to 32.16%, 9.85% to 35.31% and 20.35% to 41.93% respectively. Analysis with wood physical properties, extractives contents and anatomical properties showed that not all the wood properties correlated significant with FSP. All 4 FSP methods were significantly positively correlated with water permeability (P<0.05). Also significantly negative correlation exists between basic density and water permeability, basic density and fiber lumen diameter, solvent extractives and fiber diameter, vessel density and vessel diameter; while positive correlation exists between solvent extractive and cold water solubility, cold water solubility and hot water solubility, fiber length and fiber diameter, fiber length and fiber wall thickness, fiber diameter and fiber lumen diameter (P<0.05).

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