Juvenile wood from Pinus patula Schltdl & Cham for multilaminated panel production

Abstract

Wood scarcity, attacks by primates and insects, and fungal damage in forest plantations make the introduction of new species necessary. Given this, it is important to understand the potential uses of wood in the production chain. Pinus patula Schltdl & Cham presents good adaptation to Brazilian conditions and is a candidate for wood supply. Its juvenile wood density however, is lower than that of other pine species. This study aimed to evaluate the properties of veneer on panels produced with twelve-year old P. patula wood compared with panels produced with P. taeda wood of the same age, which is commonly used for panel production. Panels were bonded with urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde adhesives using veneers applied on two types of plywood panel. The P. patula panels showed lower strength, stiffness and density when bonded with urea-formaldehyde, and higher strength, density and stiffness when bonded with phenol-formaldehyde in comparison with P. taeda. P. patula panels can be used for multilayer panel production.