INFLUENCE OF PLANTATION AGE ON FIBRE CHARACTERISTICS OF Gmelina Arborea
ABSTRACT
The study examined the influence of age series on fiber characteristics of Gmelina Arborea established in Ondo State Afforestation, Ondo State. Three Gmelina Arborea stand of 20, 22, and 27 years old were used for the study. Wood samples were collected from the core wood, inner wood, and outer wood at 10%, 50%, and 90% of the tree merchantable height in accordance with the standard procedure (British Standard Specification, BS 373 (1989). The study examined the anatomical characteristics of Gmelina Arborea wood in respect to their age series such as fibre length, fibre diameter, lumen width, and cell wall thickness were evaluated.
The mean fibre length of the age series was 0.9676 mm, 1.0705 mm, and 1.1363 mm for 20, 22, and 27 years respectively. The mean fibre diameter 0.0256 mm, 0.0269 mm and 0.0249 mm; mean lumen width 0.0293 mm, 0.0161 mm and 0.0179 mm; mean cell wall 0.0050 mm, 0.0053 mm and 0.00500 mm.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page Number
Certification i
Abstract ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Table of contents v
List of Tables viii
List of Figures ix
CHAPTER ONE
1.0. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Background of the study 1
1.2. Statement of problem 2
1.3. Objectives 2
1.4. Scope 2
1.5. Justification 2
CHAPTER TWO
2.0. LITERATURE REVIEW 4
vi
2.1. Fibre characteristics 4
2.2. Fibre proportion and variation 4
2.3. Influence of fibre characteristics on wood utilization 5
2.3.1. Pulp/paper production 5
2.3.2. Timber production 7
2.4. Attributes of wood quality on its utilization 7
2.5. The selected wood species 8
2.5.1 Botanic description 8
2.5.2 Functional uses as Products 9
CHAPTER THREE
3.0. METHODOLOGY 10
3.1. Materials used 10
3.2. Sampled area 12
3.2 Description of plantation sampled 12
3.4. Experimental site 12
3.5. Method of sampling 12
3.6. Sample preparation 12
3.7. Parameters Determined 13
vii
3.8. Parameter calculated 13
3.9. Statistical analysis 14
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. Fibre characteristics 16
4.1.1. Fibre length 16
4.1.2. Fibre diameter 30
4.1.3. Lumen width 30
4.1.4. Cell wall 36
4.2. Test parameter 42
4.2.1. Runkel ratio 42
4.2.2. Coefficient of flexibility 46
4.3. Effect of fibre characteristics on wood utilization 49
4.3.1 Pulp and paper production 50
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0. CONCLUSION 50
References 51
CHAPTER ONE
2.0. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study
Wood presents a unique challenge in use because of its variability and the directional nature of
its basic structure. These are the sources of some of its attractive features but they require also
that they be handled and applied in ways appropriate for good end use. The ways in which the
structural features of the particular species determine their properties and limit the uses and
applications can be studied more precisely (Jayeola et al., 2009). Many attempts have been made to
define wood quality (Keith 1985), but the definition proposed by (Mitchell 1961) appears to be the most
widely cited: "Wood quality is the resultant of physical and chemical characteristics possessed by a tree
or a part of a tree that enable it to meet the property requirements for different end products".
As wood properties affect various aspects of the manufacturing process, wood quality must be
defined in terms of the value of its end products. In addition, the definition needs to include
serviceability, and cover attributes of interest to end-users, which may or may not have a direct
impact on manufacturing, but will continue to matter long after the product has been sold and
installed.
Wood fibres are usually cellulosic elements that are extracted from trees, straw, bamboo, cotton
seed, hemp, sugarcane and other sources. Because wood fibre is a natural material, wood fibre
products contain many of the natural characteristics of wood in nature. This study is based on
effect of age series on fibre characteristics of Gmelina arborea.
1
1.2. Statement of problem
Wood has always been a material of great importance to mankind. It is highly versatile. The
demand for wood has been on the increase for various uses. Unfortunately, most of the wood
species in the natural forest are going to extinction due to high demand by user leading to over
exploitation. Therefore, the use of plantation grown wood species is a step toward meeting the
demand and consumption of wood and wood products. Initially, G. arborea wood was
established in the plantation with the aim of supply fibrous raw material to the then established
pulp and paper mills in Nigeria. Based on the targeted end-use of G. arborea, several studies
have been conducted on its fibre characterisation. However, there is no available information on
the effect of plantation age on fibre characteristics of this wood species. Therefore, this study
sought to bridge this knowledge gap.
1.3. Objectives
The general objective is to investigate the influence of plantation age on fibre characteristics of
Gmelina arborea on wood utilization.
The specific objectives are:
The specific objectives are:
1. To investigate the fibre characteristics of Gmelina arborea of different plantation age
series.
2. To determine the variation of fibre characteristics along bole length and across the radial
direction of Gmelina arborea.
1.4. Scope
The research aimed to know the influence of ages on the fibre characteristics of Gmelina arborea
on various end uses of wood particularly timber production and pulp & paper production.
1.5. Justification
Wood is a natural and a very variable material. This variability is attributed mostly to variations
in the anatomical structure of wood. Despite its wide range of application, wood, like most other
materials, should not be applied without thought for the conditions under which it will serve or
for the inherent properties that will determine its suitability. As a biological material, wood
reflects the conditions under which it was grown through the variations in its properties, which
vary in different directions.
Jane (1967) recommended that the aspects of variation in wood structure are of practical
importance in the industrial sense. It is important to know the variation in species, genera and
families of a tree species to observe the individuals of the same species and the variations
occurring in the individual tree species as they grow older, from the pith outwards and from the
bottom upwards.
Meanwhile, the wood of some tree species, by reasons of its inherent properties and variation in
wood structure, is of no value as timbers; others because of their scarcity or their inaccessibility
are only of local economic importance as timber.
.