Influence of the temperature on the compression strength parallel to grain of parica

The aim of this work is to determine the influence of the temperature, in a range from 20 degrees C to 230 degrees C, on the compression strength parallel to grain of parica (Schizolobium amazonicum) from cultivated forests. The sample was formed by 105 small clear specimens assembled in 15 groups of seven elements. The specimens of each group were heated at a constant temperature, during 180 min, before the mechanical test was performed in a temperature-controlled chamber. The results obtained have shown that the temperature increase leads to a nonmonotonic decrease of the compression strength, reaching 35% of compression strength at room temperature This decrease can be associated to the influence of the temperature on the wood polymers and the moisture content of the specimens. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.