Rubberwood

M A T E R I A L presentationJATIN hukkeri : SARVESH srinivasan : MADHUMITHA srinivasan

RV SCHOOL of ARCHITECTURE

09 SEMESTER

Rubberwood

After the economic life of therubber tree, which is generally26-30 years, the latex yieldsbecome extremely low andthe planters then fell therubber trees and plant newones. So, unlike other woodsthat are cut down for the solepurpose of producingfurniture, rubberwood is usedonly after it completes it'slatex producing cycle anddies..

It is also prized as an"environmentallyfriendly" wood, as itmakes use of trees thathave been cut down atthe end of their latex-producing cycle. Theolder practice was toburn the "useless" tree.

What is Rubberwood?Rubberwood is a hardwood from the maple family of woods

Rubberwood is actually a by-product from the culling of the rubber tree

Rubberwood, also called Para wood in Thailand, is used in high-end furniture as it is valued for its dense grain, attractive colour, minimal shrinkage, and acceptance of different finishes.

Properties of Rubberwood:Density (kg/m³ at 16 C) ---------------------------- 560-640Tangential Shrinkage Coefficient (%) ------------- 1.2Radical Shrinkage Coefficient (%) ----------------- 0.8Hardness(N) ----------------------------------------------- 4,350Static Bending, N/mm at 12% MC ------------------ 66Modulus of elasticity/mm at 12%MC ------------ 9,700

Physical Properties• Rubber wood is a light hardwood. • The wood is whitish yellow or pale cream when freshly cut and seasons to light straw or light brown. • It is a diffuse porous wood with medium texture and straight grain. • Sapwood and heartwood are not distinct.

•Dry rubber wood has better hardness than teak.• Occurrence of tension wood seen as white lustrous zones when freshly cut is a characteristic feature of rubber wood.

•Rubber wood has good machining and working qualities. It can be finished to a very glossy look on polishing and can be given ammonia fumigation cum bark extract -quenching treatment to obtain golden to dark brown hues and decorative figures

•Rubber wood can be bent in steam or in ammonia to make curved items. • It takes up stains well and being light in colour it can be stained to the shades of teak, rosewood, mahogani, beech, cherry etc.• Rubber wood offers good resistance to Screw and Nail withdrawal forces.

The Wonders of Rubberwood

Rubberwood may sound flimsy, but thewood from the Pará Rubber tree is actually a

strong, tightly grained wood that isideal for furniture, flooring, and even toys.

It is commonly cultivatedin South America andAsia for its natural latexsap. After its life cycle,instead of these valuabletrees going to waste, theyare then cut down fortimber, and new rubbertrees are planted to

replenish the stock.

Unlike mahogany or teak,rubberwood, is considered

a sustainable source ofwood. Thus the rubberplantation is a sustainablesource of rubber as well astimber, contributingpositively to theenvironment.

It withstands the kiln-dryingprocess with very littleshrinkage and takes finisheswell, which makes it perfectwhere a stable wood isrequired.

India is now the thirdlargest producerof natural rubber in theworld.

Rubberwood –

Past, Present& Future

As we knownthatRubberwoodwas brought toThailand forlong time agofrom SouthAmerica and itgrows well inany rain-forestarea.

From the start of tree breedingto the first of latex collectingtakes around 7 years. Over 20years of Rubberwood, most ofvillagers take some parts suchas leaf to making a decorationproduct or souvenir.

After 25-30 years, theRubberwood are producing lesslatex rate, then the tree will becutting down and the trunk aresend to the sawmill and the

field will be replanting theRubberwood again.

At that time the need was onlythe latex for producing rubberproducts. The Rubberwooditself may understand as the

best plantation woodbecause we can usecompletely all of it parts toturn into products.

Rubberwood will be treatedand saw to size and sale toRubberwood productmanufacturer. Instead ofthrowing away of its by-product such as , we also canuse all of Rubberwood wasteas the raw material formedium density wood basedpanel industry.

Sawdust from the wood is usedto make compressed fuelcubes and, believe it or not, thefiner dust is used tomanufacture incense sticks. Italso makes perfect mushroomcultivation material!

Many companies which focus on highquality and unusual furniture userubberwood in their products.

Rubberwood furnishings are verysolid, with a smooth, even lookwhich some people find quiteenjoyable. The wood is

sometimes compared to teak,another close grained tropicalwood, and some people preferrubberwood to teak since teak is

not always a sustainablechoice.

A p

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Applications

Interiors – PanellingMouldings Beadings Skirtings Edging Parquet Strip flooring

PICTURE

Kitchen Wares – Decorative and household items such as salad bowls, knife blocks, book shelves, trays, magazine racks

Applications

Building Components –Used for making, DoorsWindows Steps Railings Balusters etc.

App

licat

ions

Rubber wood is beingused for making LVL,which is a new woodbased panel product inIndia.

Laminated Veneer Lumber

Packing Cases

Rubber wood is a widely used timber for making packing cases.

Rubber wood is reportedly suitable for making commercial plywood. Rubber wood veneers after proper treatment with preservative is widely used as plywood core stock.

Veneer and Plywood

Applications

M A T E R I A L presentationJATIN hukkeri : SARVESH srinivasan : MADHUMITHA srinivasan

RV SCHOOL of ARCHITECTURE

09 SEMESTER

Rubberwood