Fiber properties of Acacia mangium and Calophyllum brasiliense woods for papermaking: a comparative study

Abstract

This study analyzed the fiber properties of 24 trees, 12 of which were Acacia mangium and 12 Calophyllum brasiliense, with the aim of evaluating the suitability of these species for paper production.We determine wood density, fiber features and fiber properties for the purpose of papermaking. In general, our results showed that both woods have medium quality for papermaking; however, C. brasiliense has a slight advantage by the greater number of properties classified as medium based on the reference values for fiber properties and the average values for each species. For flexibility coefficient, both species are classified as medium quality, falling within the range of 0.50 to 0.65. Wall fraction is also classified as medium quality, falling within the range of 0.50 to 0.35. Runkel ratio values group both species as good for paper (0.50 - 1.00). Slenderness ratio ranks A. mangium (0.62) in group III, 0.50 - 1.00, as good for paper, while C. brasiliense (0.43) is ranked in group II, 0.25 - 0.50, as very good for paper. According to Luce’s shape factor, C. brasiliense is good for papermaking with a value below 0.5. Overall, both species were found to be suitable for paper manufacturing, demonstrating strong potential for this industrial application.