Radiata Pine / Eucalypt Globulus / Monoculture Forestry / Wood Products
Radiata Pine
RADIATA PINE (Pinus radiata D. Don)
The species Pinus radiata belongs to the order Coniferales of the Pine (Pinaceae), Family, Sub-genus Diploxylon. It has a straight trunk, and can reach a height of 30 to 50 meters, with a diameter that can exceed 150 centimeters.
Native to the coast of California , in the United States , Radiata, or Insigne, pine was introduced into Chile at the end of the 19th century, adapting extraordinarily well to the country's climatic conditions. So much so that its average annual growth rate is far higher than that of coniferous forests in Canada, Russia , Sweden and even in its country of origin.
Radiata pine grows in a wide range of environments. It can survive in areas with very little rainfall and is indifferent to those with poor soil. In Chile, it has largely been planted on land that has been abandoned for being unsuitable for agriculture and where recovery is difficult for the native vegetation.
This species has demonstrated good growth capabilities in most parts of the country, except in very dry areas (the northern deserts), the Andes Mountains, swampland and regions with abundant snowfall and temperatures below -7° Celsius.
In Chile , the optimum growth areas for Radiata pine are the slopes of the coastal mountain range between Constitucion, in the 12th Region, and Valdivia, in the 10th Region, where temperatures seldom drop below -5° Celsius and annual rainfall averages between 1,000 and 2,000 millimeters. Here, this species achieves an annual growth rate exceeding 20 cubic meters per hectare.
More than 1.5 million hectares of Radiata pine have been planted in Chile and to date there is no evidence that this species acidifies or dries the soil to any significant extent. In addition, it provides a habitat for other plant and animal species.
An exceptionally well-shaped tree, Radiata pine can grow to heights of approximately 40 meters, gaining an average of 1.5 to 3 centimeters in diameter each year.
This species is highly appreciated for its creamy-white wood - similar to that of the Ponderosa pine - which is permeable, very easy to dry and impregnate, and can be polished to a fine finish, as well as painted in any color or stained in any tone.
Owing to its excellent structural stability and strength, it readily accepts screws and nails, plus adhesives. These characteristics make it highly suitable for indoor and outdoor surfaces, housing structures and furniture, as well as for moldings and packaging. Radiata pine is also used to make impregnated wood electric power transmission and telephone poles, as well as posts for a variety of agricultural purposes.
Due to the strength and high yield of its fiber, it is internationally recognized as an outstanding raw material for producing pulp and paper, as well as veneers, plywood, fiberboard and particleboard.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTY |
DESCRIPTION |
Color |
Dark brown heartwood; yellowish white sapwood. |
Knots |
Normally strong, healthy and dark brown in color. |
Ring Growth |
Pronounced. |
Fiber |
Straight, except rings near pith. |
Texture |
Fine and homogeneous. |
Odor |
Slightly resinous. |
Nominal Density |
450 Kg/m³ |
Shrinkage |
From green state to 0% moisture content. |
|
7.0% |
|
4.2% |
|
11.2% |
Natural Durability |
Category 5, not durable, i.e., the wood's useful life is less than 5 years. |
Permeability |
Sapwood and heartwood, easy to treat. Retention > 240 Kg/m³. |
Source: CONAF – INN
COMPARISON OF MACHINING PROPERTIES
PROPERTY |
SPECIES |
|||||
RADIATA PINE |
RADIATA PINE |
WESTERN |
DOUGLAS |
LOBLOLLY |
SWEDISH |
|
(Core) |
(Exterior) |
Hemlock |
Fir |
Pine |
Spruce |
|
Turning |
4 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
Planing |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
Moulding |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Boring |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Mortising |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
Cross Cutting |
4 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
Rounting |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
Finger Jointing |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Stability |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
- |
2 |
Sanding |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Staining |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
1: Very Bad 2: Bad 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent - Source: F.R.I.N.Z.
GENERAL PULP CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS |
VALUE |
Fiber, Average Length |
2.6 mm |
Fiber, Average Width |
40.0 µm |
Fiber, Average Wall Thickness |
5.0 µm |
Coarseness |
25 mg/100 m |
Brightness |
89 – 91% |
Intrinsic Viscosity |
850 dm³ Kg |
Source: CONAF – INN
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTY |
MAXIMUM STRESS (Moisture: 12%) |
Static Bending |
|
Stress at Proportional Limit |
36.6 MPa |
Modulus of Rupture |
64.4 MPa |
Modulus of Elasticity |
75,896 MPa |
Toughness |
|
Tangential |
1,793 Ncm |
Radial |
1,823 Ncm |
Compression, Parallel |
|
Stress at Proportional Limit |
18.1 MPa |
Maximum Crushing Strength |
36.3 MPa |
Modulus of Elasticity |
8,345 MPa |
Compression, Perpendicular |
|
Stress at Proportional Limit |
7.0 MPa |
Maximum Crushing Strength |
13.2 MPa |
Tension, Perpendicular |
|
Tangential (Rupture) |
4.0 MPa |
Radial (Rupture) |
2.3 MPa |
Hardness |
|
Perpendicular (Maximum Load) |
2,030 N |
Parallel (Maximum Load) |
2,844 N |
Shear |
|
Tangential (Rupture) |
7.5 MPa |
Radial (Rupture) |
6.7 MPa |
Cleavage |
|
Tangential (Rupture) |
4,315 Nmm |
Radial (Rupture) |
3,236 Nmm |
Extraction, Nail |
|
Tangential (Maximum Load) |
392.3 N |
Radial (Maximum Load) |
274.6 N |
Source: INFOR
RESPONSE TO BEATING
CHARACTERISTICS |
VALUE |
||||
Revolutions (rpm) |
0 |
3,000 |
6,000 |
7,000 |
9,000 |
Freeness (ºSR) |
12 |
16 |
24 |
30 |
40 |
Tensile Index (Nmg) |
26.0 |
80.9 |
90.7 |
94.2 |
94.5 |
Tear Index (mNm²/g) |
16.5 |
10.2 |
9.0 |
8.8 |
8.6 |
Burst Index (KPam²/g) |
1.7 |
6.1 |
6.8 |
6.9 |
7.3 |
Air Resistance (sec/100 ml) |
1.0 |
3.2 |
33.2 |
62.0 |
33.0 |
Specific Volume (cm³/g) |
1.82 |
1.39 |
1.32 |
1.3 |
1.29 |
TEST RESULTS REPRESENT TYPICAL VALUES OBTAINED ACCORDING TO STANDARD ISO METHODS. - Source: CORMA
The content of this document (Chile, A Forestry Nation) was kindly provided by CORMA, Corporación Chilena de la Madera-
E-mail: corma@corma.cl
-
Web: www.corma.cl
