Performance Evaluation on the Smartness of Malaysian Timber

Abstract

Smart wood materials have been widely developed as green alternatives to the current infrastructures. The main property of wood that contributes to its smartness is hygroscopic, the ability of exchanging water with its environment. The objective of this work is to review and evaluate some of Malaysia’s tropical woods in terms of the effects of their hygroscopic capability. Several well-known species in industries are chosen as the samples: Kembang Semangkok, Meranti, Merpauh, Nyatoh, and Rubberwood. The samples were observed to change in their shape as a response to water’s diffusion. The factors that affect the rate and magnitude of shape change in the woods are their fibered structure composition and their grain orientation. Wood structure composition has an influence on the rate of water diffusion, thus affects the rate of responsiveness of the woods. The responsiveness of the investigated woods in this work is ranked from low to high as follows: Rubberwood, Merpauh, Nyatoh, Meranti, and Kembang Semangkok. While woods’ grain orientation gives an impact on the deflection of the woods, a tangential cut orientation gives a higher magnitude on the shape change. These two factors can be utilized in designing new facilities by using Malaysia’s smart woods in the future.