Abstract

In this work the influence of radiata pine juvenile wood (Pinus radiata D. Don), more specifically the growth ring width and cell wall thickness, on the physical (swelling and linear expansion) and mechanical (internal bond, modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity) properties of oriented strand boards (OSB) were analyzed. The wood samples were obtained from 10 trees from a 26-year old, managed plantation in the Eighth Region of Chile. The juvenile wood determination was based on the radial variation of growth ring width measured by image analysis using commercial software. The details of the anatomical structure were similarly determined from microtome samples. The experimental design considered the proportion of juvenile wood (0%, 30%, 70%, and 100%) and the type of cut of the strands (radial and tangential) to be independent variables. The press cycle involved a maximum temperature of 195