VERTICAL VARIATION IN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF Melia dubia Cav
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Date
2021-10
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present research entitled “Vertical variation in physico-chemical and mechanical
properties of Melia dubia Cav.” was carried out in the Laboratory and Wood Workshop in the
Department of Forest Products, College of Forestry, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP) during 2019-20 and 2020-21. Melia dubia tree of age about three year
was felled and converted into seven logs (base 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% and 90%) of total bole
height to investigate the physical, chemical and strength properties of the wood. It showed significant
variation along the bole height. The values of diameter, bark percentage ranged between 20.66 cm
(base) to 14.43 cm (90%) and 2.35 per cent (base) to 7.72 per cent (base), respectively. The moisture
content and maximum moisture content (143.61%) were also ranged between 62.79 per cent (base) to
75.34 per cent (90%) and 182.85 per cent (base) to 229.31 per cent (90%), respectively. Maximum
specific gravity (0.403) was recorded at base, whereas minimum (0.339) was recorded at 90 per cent.
The values for fibre length, fibre diameter, vessel diameter and number of vessels ranged between
1.007 mm (base) to 0.947 mm (90%), 0.0263 mm (base) to 0.0227 mm (90%), 0.231 mm (base) to
0.218 mm (90%) and 9.671/mm2 to 8.864/mm2, respectively. The cold water-soluble extractives, hot
water-soluble extractives, alcohol-benzene soluble extractives, holocellulose content, lignin content
and ash content ranged between 5.71 per cent (base) to 3.83 per cent (90%), 8.56 per cent (base) to
6.20 per cent (90%), 10.10 per cent (base) to 8.01 per cent (90%), 68.40 per cent (base) to 71.26 per
cent (90%), 26.66 per cent (base) to 25.08 per cent (90%) and 1.88 per cent (base) to 2.63 per cent
(90%) of total bole height, respectively. The tensile strength, bending strength, compressive strength
parallel to grain, compression strength perpendicular to grain was ranged between 0.072 kN/mm2
(base) to 0.039 kN/mm2 (90%), 0.009 kN/mm2 (base) to 0.008 kN/mm2 (90%), 0.039 kN/mm2 (base)
to 0.033 kN/mm2 (90%), 0.039 kN/mm2 (base) to 0.012 kN/mm2 (90%). The maximum value for
bending modulus of rupture, modulus elasticity in tensile strength, modulus of elasticity in bending
strength, modulus of elasticity compression parallel to grain, modulus of elasticity compression
perpendicular to grain were 0.182 kN/mm2 (30%), 1.423 kN/mm2 (30%), 9.327 kN/mm2 (90%), 0.625
kN/mm2 (base) and 0.078 kN/mm2 (90%), respectively.