SORPTION, WEATHERING, AND ANATOMICAL PROPERTIES OF GMELINA ARBOREA WOOD TREATED WITH CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND CITRIC ACID

The demand for timber in Nigeria is on the increase daily and wood users have majorly depend on wood from fast plantation grown wood species. The problem associated with the use of this available plantation wood species are dimensional instability which necessitate the need for properties enhancement to expand its use to serve additional functional purposes. This study assessed the physical, anatomical and durability properties of Gmelina arborea (G. arborea) wood treated with calcium chloride and citric acid with the objective to improving its basic properties. G. arborea tree was harvested and samples were taken longitudinally (top, middle and basal) and transverse (outer, inner and middle) directions. The samples were oven-dried at 103±2 oC for 24 hours till constant weight was achieved before the selected parameters were tested. The wood samples were impregnated in a container with 30% solution concentration of Calcium chloride and Citric acid and cured for complete modification process in the oven at a temperature of 105oC at varying time regime (6 hours and 9 hours). The mean value of the absorption, weight loss due to leaching, density increment, weight percentage gain and retention of G. arborea wood treated with calcium chloride and citric acid were 10.91% and 17.48, 10.96% and 8.46%, 11.44% and 17.01%, 10.91% and 17.48% and 1.54% and 1.89% respectively. The results showed the samples treated with citric acid enhances dimensional stability to wood used in moisture prone environment particularly indoor construction.