Mechanical Properties of Malaysian Cengal Wood as Dried Sample and Under Fiber Saturated Point

The Cengal wood samples which are obtained from Tenaga National Berhad (TNB), is a raw material for heavy construction industry. The compression test is carried out by using an Instron Machine Series‐IX at different temperatures for the purpose of determining and understanding the mechanical properties of Cengal wood under fiber saturated point and as dried samples. Analysis is made from the results in the form of Young's modulus, E plotted against the temperature. From the test, the Cengal wood does not show a glass transition or softening when dried up to 140 °C because there is no significant decrease in the value of E during heating. For fiber saturated point, the glass transition temperature occurs at 40 °C when the E value is about 190 MPa while the second rapid drop occurs at 60 °C (155 MPa), which is due to the softening temperature of lignin. After the softening point, the wood becomes too soft and undergoes the process of decomposition due to small value of E.