Aspen wood - characteristics, properties, application

Aspen belongs to the Poplar genus; the second name for aspen is trembling poplar. Willow family. The name, trembling poplar, was given to the tree because its leaves are highly mobile and trembling. The leaves have this characteristic because the leaf stalks are long, thin and strongly flattened at the top.

Because of this, aspen leaves begin to move even with the slightest breath of wind. And when the wind is strong, the cutting turns over along with the leaf. The reverse side of an aspen leaf is not green, but has a purple tint, so it seems that the aspen is changing its color.

Aspen has a columnar-shaped trunk. Aspen grows up to 35 meters in height. The trunk reaches 1 meter in diameter. The average age of aspen is 85-100 years. Rarely does aspen live to be 150 years old. Aspen grows quickly, but is very susceptible to various wood diseases.

Aspen grows in temperate and cold climate areas of Asia and Europe.

There is a belief that aspen has the ability to ward off “evil spirits.”

Aspen is a light-loving plant that prefers moist soil. But it grows in almost any soil. It grows both in mixed forests and forms pure aspen forests.

Lumber

Aspen is widespread in Korea, Kazakhstan, China, Europe, Russia, and Mongolia.

Aspen is often used for artificial plantings, for landscaping settlements, and as a decorative and fast-growing tree. The decorative properties of aspen are due to its beautiful, colorful autumn foliage.

Properties and characteristics

Aspen belongs to the extensive genus of poplars, the willow family. According to the structure of the trunk, this is a coreless, diffusely woody tree species. In Russia, this tree is found everywhere in the European and Asian parts of the country, from deciduous forests of mid-latitudes to tundra zones.

This tree grows up to 150 years, but the cause of its death is often not age, but rot that affects the core of the trunk, so trees between 30 and 50 years old are usually chosen for industrial felling. During this time, the tree reaches a height of 35-40 meters.

Aspen wood is dense, with poorly visible growth rings, and uniform in structure. The moisture content of the wood in the central part is lower than in the peripheral areas of the trunk. The color of the wood is white, grayish-white, sometimes greenish. In the cut, it is impossible to notice the rays emanating from the center. For some decorative work, such wood is valuable precisely because of its uniformity. After staining or painting, the structure of the wood remains uniform and does not reveal any structural elements.

The moisture content of a freshly cut tree is about 82%, while the maximum moisture content of this wood (when soaked) reaches 185%. With high atmospheric humidity, aspen quickly absorbs water, but also quickly loses it when drying, which is a positive quality.

In terms of resistance to biological factors, wood belongs to the lowest, fifth class (according to the ISO EN 350-3:1994 standard).

There are a total of five classes in the above standard. The first class of resistance includes, for example, Indian teak and Australian eucalyptus. Larch and oak are classified as class 2 in terms of wood stability. In Russia, the resistance of a tree to the effects of fungi and mold is determined in dimensionless conventional units. According to the Russian classification, resistance to fungi is 1.2 units for mature wood, and 1 for aspen sapwood.

Abashi African

Abashi Africana is an African oak tree. It has light, yellow wood. Abashi is superior to other types of wood in terms of wear resistance and resistance to moisture, and has low thermal conductivity - it practically does not heat up.

Abashi refers to a variety of trees that has the following features:

- specific smell;

- without rotting;

- does not turn black;

- natural color.

Abashi wood has a specific smell, but it is pleasant and somewhat reminiscent of spruce. According to statistics, the likelihood of fungus appearing is minimal. Wood is used in a sauna or bathhouse without signs of rotting. It also does not turn black over time. And the same cannot be said about spruce or pine. Natural color gives an interesting texture.

Thermal conductivity

Abashi has low thermal conductivity, below 20N. When people sit on shelves in a hot room, they do not feel the heat. Porosity allows wood to breathe. The service life is high, but there is a difference between grades.

Mechanical properties

Abashi has a dense structure. If you scratch it without strong pressure, barely noticeable stripes appear. Abash for baths is also suitable due to its low shrinkage. Other features:

— plasticity;

- strength;

- deformability.

Plasticity is assigned a rating of 5. This means that the wood does not lose its shape.

Plastic

• Abashi is a plastic and non-sharp wood with high impact strength. the material is considered suitable for shelves in steam rooms.
• Thermoabashi can change shape only at temperatures above 150 degrees.

Strength

• Abashi wood is strong, the bending strength modulus is 100 N per mm2. It is possible to install long shelves.
• Abashi also has rigidity in the horizontal position. The tensile strength is 80 N, and this is higher than that of pine or alder.

Tendency to deformation (stability, residual stresses)

Low deformability is the main advantage of abashi. It is installed without shrinkage, so it is possible to accurately select the dimensions. Abashi shelves have a radial swelling of less than 20N. The indicator is lower than that of pine and beech. Also, the abashi shelf has insignificant longitudinal shrinkage - at the level of 10%.

Canadian Red Cedar (aromatic) - created by nature itself, both for steam rooms and for washing areas. According to its characteristics, no other breed is so ideally suited for finishing steam rooms in baths, saunas and more.

Beautiful wood, low specific gravity and ultra-low thermal conductivity. There are no gum resins, but the presence of essential oils that protect the wood from moisture and insects. The wood has an unusual sweetish, pleasant smell, which intensifies when soaked with warm water or heating, creating an intense and lasting aroma in the room, especially in the steam room. These same oils make the atmosphere in the steam room and washing area beneficial for human health, increase tone and give a boost of energy. Moths and other insect pests do not grow in such rooms. The air is purified of harmful microorganisms and becomes sterile. The stability of this wood against warping allows the use of a wider layer of lining than in previous types of wood. The wood is durable and wear-resistant, and goes well in decoration with any of the above types of wood.

Industrial felling of aspen

The international standard for industrial wood is called DIN 4076. Aspen wood belongs to group AS.

In Russia, industrial cutting of trees is carried out in wild forest plots, which are then restored naturally. In Western Europe, in recent decades, trees for industrial felling have increasingly been grown in nurseries. These are the so-called short-cycle forest nurseries. They grow primarily fast-growing tree species (poplar, aspen). This approach to environmental management makes it possible to preserve natural forests and grow wood of the required parameters.

Siberian Cedar

Siberian cedar has a scientific name, but has nothing to do with cedars in the same way as Korean cedar (Pinus Koraiensis), Canadian white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), and Alaskan cedar (Callitropsis Nutkansky).

“Real cedar does not grow in Russia; its wonderful properties are so vividly described in the Bible that many peoples “could not resist” not to use this famous name to name the most valuable species of trees in newly developed areas.” © Candidate of Geographical Sciences A.I. Cherkasov

In Russia, the plant became known at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries under the name “Siberian cedar,” although by all indications it belongs to the genus Pine and is a close relative of Scots Pine, but not true cedars (Lebanese, Canadian, Turkish or Ararat, Cypriot or short-coniferous , Atlas and Himalayan). The tracing name has taken root in our open spaces more than the scientific name. Siberian cedar is often confused with Korean cedar, dwarf cedar and European cedar.

Siberian cedar pine is often used in finishing steam rooms - this is lining or ceiling, but preferably without resin pockets. In residential premises where there is Siberian cedar pine finishing, moths and other insects do not appear. In addition, the air is purified of harmful microorganisms and becomes sterile. Alder and Canadian cedar have the same properties.

Features of wood processing

If you look at an aspen trunk in a cross cut, you can see that the wood has a nuclear-free structure. In general, the wood is soft compared to other deciduous trees, its density is 400-500 kilograms per cubic meter (with a humidity not exceeding 15%).

Aspen timber, like other lumber, is capable of absorbing large amounts of water, both in the atmospheric air and under water, which is a negative characteristic of this wood. Aspen wood dries slowly, over several months; when dried, it practically does not crack and does not change its original shape (does not warp). Dried wood splits easily in the longitudinal direction. In the outer part of the trunk, the wood has a high density, so wear rates during operation of aspen products are high.

The humidity in the central part of the tree trunk is much lower than in the peripheral areas. Lumber manufacturers take this feature into account when organizing the drying of timber and round timber.

This wood can be easily processed with mechanical and sharp hand tools, it is easy to saw and cut, it is easy to peel, split and mill. It is easier to process wet, not completely dry wood. When polishing wood, it is not easy to achieve a good smooth surface, although it is uniform and there are no obvious annual rings or knots in the wood. Aspen takes well to impregnation and staining. Dried wood is not difficult to glue; it can be used to make furniture, the parts of which are connected using screws or nails.

Alder

(lat. Álnus glutinosa) is a genus of Alder (
Alnus
) of the Birch family (
Betulaceae
). - deciduous, non-resinous, honey-bearing wood that can perfectly withstand high temperature changes and is stable. Moisture resistance is average and is more durable in use than aspen or birch. Alder wood, one of the few species, contains a large amount of tannins. Finnish lining made of black alder is also very popular. At high temperatures, medicinal vapors are released from the lining of the boards, which help strengthen the immune system, normalize blood composition, and also have a beneficial effect on the nervous and cardiovascular system of lovers of water treatments. It is also recommended to purchase doors made of solid alder for saunas and baths. The structure of alder wood is uniform, with a pinkish tint. The species is denser than, for example, aspen, abashi or Canadian cedar, so it is recommended to use it in shelves, taking into account the fact that it will still heat up, and you will feel it, but it will be comfortable.

Use of aspen in industry

The main consumers of aspen are the construction industry. Various lumber is produced from it: round timber, timber, boards, particle board, fiberboard, peeled veneer. Bathroom equipment is made from timber, for example, benches, ladders, shelves, grates and pallets. Aspen slats are used to produce packaging boxes and containers for storing and transporting goods. Until recently, before the advent of computer technology, drawing drawing boards were made from dense white aspen.

The shavings are a by-product of production and are used as fuel for thermal power plants, as well as insulation in rural and country construction. Wood shavings used for combustion at thermal power plants are considered an environmentally friendly material, and wood is a renewable natural resource. For heating private houses, chopped wood, scraps from production, and fuel pellets are used.

Aspen wood is a raw material for the production of cardboard and paper. In the shoe industry, crushed aspen shavings are used as a material that absorbs moisture well. Peeled aspen veneer is used to make plain and laminated plywood, matches, and toothpicks. It is used to make caskets, baskets, gift boxes and packaging. Sliced ​​veneer is used for the manufacture of various household items. Bent, shaped parts of furniture and decorative boxes are made from thin aspen plywood.

When burned without access to air, aspen produces charcoal of good quality. It is used in the chemical industry and for artistic works.

Frake

Fraquet wood has different names depending on its place of origin in West Africa. In Nigeria this is White Afara, in Zaire and Angola - Light Limba or Dark Limba depending on the color of its core zone, in Ghana - Ofram.

An absolutely moisture-resistant and stable wood species with low thermal conductivity, which allows it to be used as finishing materials in steam baths and saunas. Below are several variations of thermo-lining profiles made of Frake wood, produced in Finland.