Thermomechanical characteristics of plantation-grown rattan canes (Calamus merrillii Becc.)
2009
Abasolo, W.P., Philippines Univ. Los Baños, College, Laguna (Philippines). Forest Products Paper Science Dept.
A thermomechanical analyzer was fabricated using a digital strain gauge able to detect deflection of down to 0.01 mm with steam as a heat source. Softening temperature plantation-grown rattan cane was measured. Likewise, the cell wall chemical components of the sample were determined using standard procedures used in wood. Softening was about 80-85 deg C and it was unaffected by the origin of the sample. The softening temperature is a critical state where in the material can be molded, change in shape without negatively affecting its mechanical attribute. Proving that plantation-grown canes have the same softening temperature as that of wild rattan canes shows that this material could be converted into furniture that are of the same quality as that of wild rattan canes. Therefore this shows usability of plantation-grown canes in the rattan furniture industry. The cell wall chemistry of the individual samples was more or less similar to other rattan canes. Relationships between these chemical constituents and softening temperature was not detected. This is probably due to the limitation of the fabricated thermomechanical analyzer. For the relationship to be observed, the device should be able to detect deflection down to the microstrain level. However, the fabricated device can only detect deflection up to 0.01 mm. Nonetheless, the device was able to determine the softening temperature of the material which is the important output of this study.
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