Estudo da porosidade e dureza da madeira de seringueira (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.)

Abstract

The present work proposes to evaluate the porosity and hardness of the wood of Hevea brasiliensis treated with chrome copper dichromate (CCB) and Pentachlorophenol (Pentox), aiming at the use of wood in structural situations. For the accomplishment of the tests three trees of the rubber wood clone Pb 235, with 25 years of age and DBH greater than 50 cm were cut. The physical properties of moisture, apparent density and porosity, and the mechanical property modulus of elasticity (MOE) in the parallel and perpendicular directions were evaluated through the Janka hardness test. Regarding the results obtained for MOE, the treatments presented statistically equal mean values. However, when comparing the treatments, it was observed that the wood presented higher average values for the parallel direction. However, in relation to the porosity results for the different treatments performed on the rubber tree, there was statistical difference between them. The wood without preservative treatment had the highest average values of porosity (52.45%), followed by treatment with Pentox (48.81%) and later by wood treated with CCB (46.45%). The results obtained allow to place the rubber wood as a promising species in the use in structural situations, such as the use in railway pieces.