Study of Thermal Properties of Some Selected Tropical Hard Wood Species

摘要

The uses of wood and wood-based materials in everyday life ranging from domestic to industrial purposes have called for renewed updating of the information and knowledge on various thermal properties of the materials at various stages and classifications. This paper investigates the thermal properties (specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity) of some selected tropical hard wood species using the method of mixtures and the Lee’s Disk method respectively. The results show that the thermal conductivity of the selected wood species fall within the general range of 0.1-0.8 W/mK for tropical wood materials, with iCeltis mildraedii/i having the least thermal conductivity of 0.08iW//imk and iStrombosia glaucescens/i the highest value of 0.392 W/mK. The specific heat capacity was highest for iHolorrhena floribunda /i (1.97 J/g.K) and the lowest for iPterygota macrocarpa/i (1.01 J/g.K). These results can be used for testing the validity and efficiency of hard woods used for domestic and industrial applications.