Promoting Utilization Potential of Bombax ceiba Linn and Bombax insigne Wall through Enhancement of Wood Quality and Technological Properties by Modification with Melamine Resin

Population and welfare growth increases timber demand in Myanmar. At the
same time, the growing stock of commercially important timber species dwindles
as a result of concentrated harvesting practice on a few timber species. To meet
the growing timber demand, one of the best options is utilizing the so-called
lesser-used timber species, which constitute 75-80% of the total growing stock
of Myanmar forests. Thus, the objective of this research is to promote the
utilization potential of some abundantly available lesser-used timber species.
Bombax ceiba, Bombax insigne, Spondias pinnata and Tetrameles nudiflora
were chosen as investigating materials. They find difficulties to get market
acceptance due to their inferior quality and thus have very low commercial
value, but are abundantly available. As they are of low durability, low strengths and
high water uptake, their utilization-oriented properties should be upgraded through
some forms oftreatment to open up their way to markets. On a screening test, their
treatabilitywas tested in a full cell process employing a staining solution in accordance with
CEN/TC 38/WG 26 on one side and in a vacuum process following procedures
given in Kumar and Dobriyal (1993) on the other. Based on results from the two
tests, the treatability was classified in three well-known standards and three
methods developed by former researchers. As B. ceiba and B. insigne were
easily treatable (Class 1), they were selected for further investigations.