Impact of Thermal Treatment on Anatomical and Mechanical Properties of Ricinodendron heudelotii Wood

The study examined the impact of thermal treatment on anatomical and mechanical properties Ricinodendron heudelotii wood. Wood samples were oven dried at 105°C and cooled in a desiccator to a constant weight before the thermal treatment. Heat treatment of wood was carried out in a Furnace at 120°C, 140°C and 160°C for 45 minutes and 90 minutes. The Density, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), Modulus of Rupture (MOR), and the anatomical properties were assessed. The results for Density of Ricinodendron heudelotii wood showed decrease from 279 kg/m3 (120°C at 45 minutes) to 256 kg/m3 (160°C at 90 minutes) while that of control was 281 kg/m3 which was lower than the treated samples. The increase in temperature with time had effect of the color of wood as it changed from creamy white to dark brown. The image of untreated and treated samples showed no significant changes within and among treatment groups as there was no effect of treatment time and exposure on the samples.

The MOE of heat treated Ricinodendron heudelotii increased from 2064.84 N/mm2 (140°C for 45 minutes) to 2271.93 N/mm2 (160°C for 90 minutes) while MOR decreased from 40.56 N/mm2 (140°C for 90 minutes) to 33.53 N/mm2 (160°C for 90 minutes). The study revealed that the wood could be used in a light furniture as unnecessarily heavy wood is not important. Also, the study proved effective in improving the modulus of elasticity of the wood.