Green moisture content, basic density, and shrinkage characteristics of the wood of Alstonia boonei, Antrocaryon micraster, Bombax buonopozense, Dialium aubrevillei and Sterculia rhinopetala

Abstract

A study was undertaken on the green moisture content, basic density and shrinkage properties for the wood of five Ghanaian species: Alstonia boonei (Sinduro), Antrocaryon micraster (Aprokuma), Bombax buonopozense (Akata), Dialium aubrevillei (Duabankye) and Sterculia rhinopetala (Wawabima). The overall green moisture content of the wood species ranged from a low of 51-52% (for D. aubrevillei and A. micraster) to a high of 177% (for B. buonopozense), while the overall mean basic density of the wood species ranged from a low of 366 kg/m3 (for B. buonopozense) to a high of 738 kg/m3 (for A. micraster). Green moisture content appeared to be inversely proportional to the basic density with a correlation coefficient of -0.962. Mean total tangential shrinkage was medium (4.6-4.7%) in A. boonei and B. buonopozense, and very large (9.0-10.3%) in S. rhinopetala, D. aubrevillei and A. micraster. Mean partial tangential shrinkage were small (2.7%) in A. boonei and B. buonopozense, medium (5.0%) in S. rhinopetala and D. aubrevillei, and large (6.1%) in A. micraster. Mean total radial shrinkage was medium (3.6-3.9%) in B. buonopozense and A. boonei, large (4.4%) in S. rhinopetala, and very large (5.3-6.3%) in D. aubrevillei and A. micraster; and mean partial radial shrinkage was medium (2.0-2.5%) in A. boonei, B. buonopozense, D. aubrevillei and S. rhinopetala, and large in A. micraster (3.5%). Except for A. micraster (~ 0.65%) total longitudinal shrinkage was typically less than 0.4%.

Keywords: Moisture content, basic density, shrinkage characteristics