Wood

By: Hayar Laboret Rodríguez

 1¿What is wood?

Wood is a orthotropic material found

as the main content of a tree trunk.
Wood have a vegetable origin
obtained from tree trunks that are
found in forests or other [Link]
are characterized by having trunks
that grow every year.
Wood consists mainly of two
substances: Cellulose and Lignin
 ¿What are cellulose and lingin?
Cellulose: Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide
in plants since it is part of the supporting tissues.
Wood contains approximately 50% cellulose.

Lingin: Lignin is a complex organic polymer. It is

responsible, among others, for giving woody
hardness and stiffness to the woody trunk. In
addition, wood contains approximately 25%
lignin.

Trees contain other substances such as sugars,

oils, and resins.
 Parts of the wood
Medulla Heartwood
The pith is the innermost part of the The heartwood is the innermost part
trunk and is also the one with the of the tree stem, formed from the
oldest and hardest wood that tends [Link] is a dry, hard, compact,
to split more easily. and darker.

Medulla Heartwood
 Parts of the wood
Sapwood Cambium
The sapwood is the young part of the It is a meristematic plant tissue specific
wood and is usually lighter in color. to woody plants, located between the
Provides support, structure and storage bark and the log. It may be a vascular
of reserve substances. cambium or a suberous or
phellogenous cambium.

Sapwood Cambium
 Parts of the wood
Bark
It is the outermost layer of wood. It covers and
protects the wood and consists of three layers,
the phellogen, the phloem, and the vascular
cambium. It can reach about 10-15% of the total
weight of the tree. It protects the tree from Bark
external
aggressions (parasites, cold, fire...).
 Properties of wood
Wood is a material that humans have used for thousands of
years thanks to its [Link] of them are:

It is a relatively light material, it is less

30 degrees outside
dense than water, so it floats.
It insulates against cold, heat and
electricity.
It is a porous material, capable of
absorbing and releasing moisture

22 degrees inside
 Properties of wood
It has good resistance to forces.

It is renewable, if we take care of the forests, it will

never run out

It is recyclable, i.e. it can be reused from waste.

 Properties of wood
It is biodegradable, i.e. it decomposes naturally,
so it does not pollute.

It is aesthetic.
 Production process of wood
It is the process from the extraction of wood in the forests (raw
material) to the obtention of planks (material).

5. Drying: the amount of water is

1. Felling and pruning. reduced to avoid warping. Dry
wood is more durable and
[Link].
lighter.
[Link] 6. Brushing: irregularities are
removed.
4. Logs are cut into boards or planks of
7. Distribution: It is usually
different sizes.
distributed in boards, planks, and
sheets
 Production process of wood
1. 3. 5. 7.

6.
2. 4.
Classification of wood and Its derivates
Wood products are grouped into three groups:

Natural woods: they are obtained directly from

the tree.

Prefabricated wood: obtained from natural

wood in factories.

Cellulose materials: are those made from

cellulose obtained from wood.
 Natural woods
Natural woods are divided into two groups: hardwoods and softwoods

Hardwoods There is a wide variety of colours

They come from deciduous trees, which They are difficult to work with
drop their leaves in winter.
Uses: higher quality furniture,
They grow slowly and have large trunks. musical instruments.

Examples of trees: Oak, Chestnut,

They have little resin
Cherry, etc.
 Natural woods
Softwood
They have a lot of resin.
They come from evergreen trees (the
leaf never falls off) in the shape of a Use: structural elements,
needle. packaging boxes, flooring,
They grow fast. furniture.

Examples of trees: pine, spruce,

They are usually light-coloured and have
etc.
more pronounced rings.
 Prefabricated timbers
Prefabricated timber or wood is not
obtained directly from logs or trunks, but
is
manufactured in factories from natural
wood. Its processed in order to obtain a
pre-designed look.
They are sold in the form of sheets or
plates of various thicknesses. In addition,
this wood can last between 50 and 70
years.
 Prefabricated timbers
3
Properties: 1 2
1- The boards can be of any size, but if
the wood is natural wood, the size
depends on the thickness of the tree.

4
2- They are easier to work than natural Prefabricada, 54 m2, 20.000 Natural, 39 m2 19.000
ones

3- They are not attacked by parasites

4- They are cheaper than natural ones.

 Types of prefabricated timber
Plywood boards: It is a wooden board obtained by
gluing wood veneers forming a right angle.

Chipboards: They are made up of wood particles

mixed with a glue, which becomes a solid and
resistant panel under conditions of high pressures
and temperatures.

Fibreboard:It is a reconstituted wood product

obtained by breaking down hard or soft wood waste
into wood fibers.
 Cellulosic materials
It is a biopolymer composed exclusively of
β-glucose molecules. In addition, cellulosic
materials are manufactured with cellulose
ethers, the main component of the wood
used to make paper. These materials are
obtained from wood cellulose. There are
many types, but the most important is
paper. On the next page Its of where is
paper obtined from.
 ¿Where is the paper obtined from?
1. The wood is crushed and mixed with water and
other chemicals that are: kraft or sulfate chemical
cellulose and sulfite cellulose.

2. A cellulose pulp is obtained which is pressed

and laminated in machines. This machine is called
Foudriner's machine.

3. A sheet of paper is obtained which must be

dried.
Wood recycling and enviromental care
Recycling wood means taking care of our
forests and our air, which will improve our
quality of life. Recycling is good, because, we,
the humans are cutting down entire forests.
Thousands of animals are left without homes
and without food. The air is getting dirtier,
but we have time to change things to live in a
better place.
 Wood can be recycled
Reusing pieces left over from other works or
using the wood for projects that
are no longer of interest.
Shredding wood to make prefabricated
timber.
Shredding wood to make paper, cardboard.
DO NOT buy hardwood furniture (usually
tropical wood), which protects
rainforests such as the Amazon.
Reusing and recycling paper and cardboa.
etc