Abstract:

After a full implementation of the master degree study in the study program of Wood Industry Department, the first master theses are done. This study was a part of a master thesis and all laboratory experiments are done in the Laboratory of Wood Study in Forest Science Faculty. The study regards the investigation on wood swelling, a very important physical property of wood which has direct impact on dimensional stability of wood. It is known that extractives have a very important effect on wood properties and utilization. The study is focused especially in the effect of the extractives’ content in Aleppo pine and white oak woods, both very widespread species in Albania, in maximum swelling. There were prepared about 100 wood samples of Aleppo pine and about 70 wood samples of white oak. Half of the wood samples are extracted in a mixture of toluene and ethanol in a 1:1 ratio for 10 days. All samples are oven dried until they reached 0% humidity and after that they are acclimatized at T=20ºC and φ=100% so the samples reach the saturation point. Maximum swelling is calculated for all samples. From the calculation resulted that: for extracted samples of Aleppo pine the tangential swelling is increased 1.17 % and the radial swelling is increased 1.27% in comparison with non extracted samples; for extracted samples of white oak the tangential swelling is increased 2.43 % and the radial swelling is increased 2.05% in comparison with non extracted samples.
The good results of students in their theses of master show that the implementation of Bachelor and master degree in our study program can increase the quality of the students.

Keywords:

Wood, swelling, extractive, Aleppo pine, white oak.