Mechanical properties of Papua New Guinea balsa wood

Abstract

The mechanical properties of plantation-grown balsa wood from Papua New Guinea (PNG) were determined according to American Society for Testing and Materials D143-09. Static bending, hardness, compression parallel and perpendicular to grain, and shear parallel to grain tests were performed on kiln-dried specimens segregated into the three international density classes (80 ≤ 120, 120 ≤ 180 and 180 ≤ 220 kg/m ). The literature states balsa with a density between 120 and 180 kg/m has the most commercial value in contemporary markets. The results presented in this study indicate that balsa with a density around 150 kg/m can have superior strength properties to balsa with a higher and lower dens..