Mechanical behavior of wood species softened by microwave heating prior to bending

Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of wood under several moisture and temperature conditions is important for its correct application, since most studies aim to verify their in natura properties. The present work aimed at the mechanical characterization of microwave plasticized Melia azedarach L. and Cariniana sp. woods through static bending. Samples were split into three groups, one control and two treatments (7 and 15 days of previous water immersion) with 90 s of exposure time. Values of modulus of elasticity, rupture, resilience and wood brittleness were obtained, as well as moisture content prior to and after treatment. It was verified that softening treatments reduce all of the mechanical properties with significant difference between treated and control groups for both species. Through a clustering analysis, the treated samples of both species were classified into the same group. Therefore, it can be concluded that treatment was sufficient for softening the wood, inhibiting its species factor, thus suggesting its use is adequate for any species.