Study of the physical properties of Corymbia citriodora wood for the prediction of specific cutting force

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify the influence of wood density and moisture content on specific cutting force. We used wood from the species Corymbia citriodora Hill & Johnson, from tree plantations in the Vale do Rio Doce, Brazil. A diametrical board with dimensions of 60 x 18 x 5 cm (length x width x thickness, respectively), more than 1.3 m from the ground, was removed. In machining trials, a 400 mm diameter circular saw was used, with 24 “WZ” teeth, feed rate of 10 m.min-1, cutting speed of 61 m.s-1, and maximum instantaneous torque of 92.5 N.m. During cutting, test specimens were removed with alternate and parallel 1.5 cm edges in 6 radial positions, which were used for determination of moisture, and wood density. It was observed that the specific cutting force was positively correlated with apparent density and with the basic density of the wood; however the moisture content was negatively correlated. The basic density was the best property indicated for the prediction of specific cutting force. Moisture content proved to be an important property for explaining the correlation found between specific cutting force and the apparent density of the wood.