Acer pseudoplatanus

Acer pseudoplatanus L. – Great maple

group: 	DIFFUSE-POROUS HARDWOODS

Macroscopic structure of wood

heartwood/sapwood: 	sapwood (possible occurrence of false heartwood)

description: 	yellowish to yellowish brown colour; lustrous longitudinal sections

rings: 	small to moderate visible boundary between rings

vessels:	only micro pores in wood (longitudinal sections smooth)

rays: 	small, very numerous ray fleck, visible only in R (very obvious in Great maple)

texture: 	slightly flatsawn (T) and slightly radial figure (R), burl (T), bird's eye (T) a wavy grain (T); lusterous and decorative wood

other: 	often bird's eye and wavy grain

Microscopic structure of wood

brief overview: 	Ray 1–8 seriate, HomG; simple perforation plate, spiral thickenings of vessels

ring: 	invisible boundary between early and late wood within ring	X

vessel types and arrangements: 	only microvessels; microvessels very often solitary or in radial multiples (up to 4)	X

type of vessel perforation: 	simple	R

vessel thickenings: 	fine spiral	R, T

rays: 	homogeneous	R, T

width of rays	1–8 (Great maple 1–8; Norway maple 1–6; Field maple 1–4)	T, (X)

apotracheal parenchyma: 	slightly numerous – diffuse, marginal	X

tracheids in basic tissue: 	slightly numerous – fibre tracheids (thick-walled)	R, T

Wood properties

density: 	moderate heavy

ρ 0: 	630 kg/m3

ρ 12-15: 	670 kg/m3

ρ green: 	1000 kg/m3

shrinkage: 	medium

- volumetric (βV): 	11,5 %

- radial (βR): 	3 %

- tangential (βT): 	8 %

mechanical properties: 	strong, elastic and bendy

ultimate strength in compression ||: 	49 MPa

ultimate strength in bending: 	95 MPa

ultimate strength in tension ||: 	100 MPa

hardness: 	moderate hard

Janka's hardness: 	75 MPa

technological properties: 	no problem with chemical preservation, drying, working and finishing

resistance: 	rated as slightly or non-resistant to decay

Wood utilization

veneers (valuable are veneers with bird's-eye figure and vlnitým průběhem vláken), furniture, toys, wood haberdashery and imitation jewellery, parts of musical instruments (guitars, violins), small subjects (toothpick, toys), woodcarving and turning work

References