Material Resistance and Chemical Composition of Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea)

RG/WP 18-20645

M Humar, M De Angelis, M Romagnoli, V Vek, I Poljanšek, P Oven, N Thaler, B Lesar, D Kržišnik

Relevant properties of stone pine (Pinus pinea) wood have been only fragmentarily addressed in the past, which has been recognized as a limiting factor for its potential applications. The amount of the respective wood species on the market will likely increase in the future. The sorption properties, permeability to water, extractives content and durability against fungi of Pinus pinea sapwood and heartwood were therefore determined in the present research. A SEM analysis was also performed. The Meyer-Veltrup model for material resistance was used to test relevant data. The results showed that sapwood of P. pinea fits into durability class 5 (very susceptible wood), while heartwood meets the requirements of durability class 2 (durable wood), if the mass loss after fungal exposure is considered as the sole criteria for classification. Heartwood contains up to 15 % of lipophilic compounds, contributing to its hydrophobicity and influencing its sorption properties. In contrast, sapwood is very permeable and hence takes up a lot of water, while heartwood, with a higher resin content, exhibits better water performance. The higher durability of stone pine heartwood against wood decaying fungi can be linked to chemical composition, namely: presence of phenolic extractives and hydrophobic properties.


Keywords: Pinus pinea, chemical composition, durability, water performance, material resistance

Conference: 18-04-29/05-03 Johannesburg, South Africa


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