Properties of curved laminated veneer lumber made from fast-growing species with radiofrequency heating for use in furniture

Curved laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is manufactured from glue-coated pieces of rotary-cut veneers assembled and pressed between molds. In this study, curved LVLs were produced from two fast-growing wood species such as massion pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) and poplar (Populus euramericana CV. I.) for use in furniture. In addition to the applicability of the two wood species used, the optimum technological conditions of curved LVL production with radiofrequency (RF) heating and the physical and mechanical properties of curved LVL were investigated. The results are as follows: (1) Curved LVL made from massion pine and fast-growing poplar shows excellent mechanical properties. These fast-growing wood species are suitable for curved LVL being used as furniture structural members. (2) The mechanical properties of curved LVL are affected by frequency, voltage, RF application time, and moisture content, with the RF application time and moisture content having more important effects on the mechanical properties than the frequency and the voltage. (3) The mechanical properties of curved LVL increase with a linear increase in the density of curved LVL.The abstract of this study was presented at the 9th Annual Meeting of the Chugoku Shikoku Branch of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tottori, October 4, 1997