Radial variation in physical and mechanical properties of rubberwood planted in Jeli, Kelantan

The study aims to determine the radial variation of the physical and mechanical properties of rubber trees grown in Jeli, Kelantan. This research aims to understand the radial variability in the physical and mechanical properties of rubber wood, which affects its use, effectiveness, and quality, in order to optimize the use of rubber wood in Malaysia. Apart from that, it promotes environmentally friendly forestry practices as well as renewable and biodegradable resources to reduce pressure on natural forests. It is emphasized to focus on the density, moisture content, bending, and compressive strength from the pith towards the bark to achieve the objective of this study, which is to investigate the radial variation in the physical and mechanical properties of rubber wood. This method is done with two discs taken 1400mm from the root and cut into two discs, one 60mm long and the other 140mm long. The first disk is cut into six samples, each measuring 20mm x 20mm x 60mm. Density and moisture content are calculated. The second disc is cut into 60mm and 80mm sections, with the 60mm wood cut radially to 20mm x 20mm x 20mm, while the 80mm wood is cut tangentially to 80mm x 20mm x 5mm. In order for MOR, MOE, and compressive strength to be determined, Findings show a significant variation in the density of the sample near the pith, which is lower (0.54 g/cm3), while the density of the wood near the bark is higher, which is 0.69 g/cm3, while the MC sample has an average moisture content of 10.40% near the wood. near the pith, and the wood near the bark sample is 10.06%. The compressive strength of the sample has an average value of 102.40 (N/mm2) for the wood sample near the bark, while the wood near the pith sample is 103.16 (N/mm2). The wood near the pith sample had a lower MOE of 2188.80 (N/mm2), while the wood near the bark sample had an average MOE of 6767.61 (N/mm2). Finally, the wood near the pith sample has a lower MOR of 59.18 (N/mm2), while the wood near the bark sample has a higher MOR, as shown by 75.33 (N/mm2). In conclusion through this study, rubber wood had better or comparable qualities compared to other wood species, making it suitable for various wood products and applications.