Jurnal Penelitian Hasil Hutan

13-22

Authors: Pari, R., Abdurachman, Jasni & Kalima, T.

Rattan is a lignocellulose plant that can be used for furmiture and other handicraft product. Quality and characteristics of the rattan species should be identified to comply with their utilization purposes. This research aimed to study the quality classification of 11 less used rattan species from Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatera based on their physical properties (density) and mechanical properties (bending strength). The testing method applied was modified from ASTM D143-94. This modification was carried out because the formula used in ASTM is for square cross-section while rattan has cylindrical cross-section. The study of 11 species of rattan, based on the physical and mechanical properties, showed that three species of rattan from Kalimantan were classified in to class II – I (Calamus lobbianus), class III (Daemonorops fissa) and class IV – III (C. marginatus), while the three species of rattan from Sulawesi were grouped in to class I (C. robinsonianus), class II (C. scleracanthus) and class II – III (C. mindorensis). The remaining five species of rattan from Sumatera were categorized in class I – II (C. rugosus), class II – I (C. spectatissimus), class I – III (D. longipes), class II – III (D. verticillaris), and class III (D. sepal). These results could be used as a consideration for utilization of high quality rattan for furniture material that hold heavy load while low quality rattan may be used for holding light load only.

33-46

Authors: Rachmawati, O. Sugita, P Santoso, A

Oil palm trunk is lower in dimensional stability, density, physical, and mechanical properties than other wood species. Efforts to overcome the weakness of the oil palm trunk properties could be conducted through densification with hot pressing and chemical adhesive addition. This paper studies optimum composition of Tannin Resorcinol Formaldehyde (TRF) in its application for improving the quality of oil palm trunk. The tannins were water extracted at 75°C and further copolymerized with resorcinol and formaldehyde. TRF was studied through functional group analysis using infrared spectroscopy and cristallinity test using X-ray diffraction. The TRF adhesive was applied through compregnation process. Results showed that reactivity of tannins in bark of Acacia mangium was 65.82%, the optimum adhesive composition of TRF (v/v) was = 1:0.05:0.05 with solid content of 8.33%, 0.09% free formaldehyde, and the degree of crystallinity was 10.92%. Tannin extract has a specific character on the wave number corresponding to the characteristics possessed by the imported tannin acacia standard. The presence of new functional groups and an increase in absorbance intensity of uptake at several wave numbers through infrared spectroscopy analysis on TRF as well as compregnated oil palm trunk indicate the occurrence bonds attributted by ether and methylene bridges to TRF and chemical compound on oil palm trunk. Oil palm trunk after compregnation significantly increased its density by 104.61%, hardness became 6 fold, and decreased the thickness swell to 85.98%. The oil palm trunk after compregnation also increased in quality from a wood strength class V to a wood strength class III, then, its potential for manufacturing exterior products.