The Palmyra petiole is the biovégétal material widely used in Chad for the artisanal manufacture of furniture and other works. The present study deals with the determination of its physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics. We carried out the chemical analyzes, the physical tests and the mechanical tests in three points flexion, in traction and in compression.
The results of our physicochemical analyzes and mechanical tests are satisfactory.
Its cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose contents obtained justify its resistance to physical and chemical degradation and its attack by termites.
The values of its mechanical characteristics obtained place it between the category D50 and D60 of hardwoods.
Those of its physical properties place it among the light woods.
This study, the first on the knowledge of the scientific and technical properties on Chad's petiole of palmyra, opens perspectives on a new field of study on the behaviour of this abundant natural raw material.
The tall - palm (borassus aethiopum mart) is a wood material very used in the works of traditional and semi-traditional habitat construction in Chad. However, one has knowledge on neither physical nor mechanical features of this wood of Chad. The present survey on the physical characterization of this wood shows that it has: - A humidity rate of 15.86% ? 1.18% in the duramen, 44.56% +- 2.95% in the sapwood and 47.78% +- 0.31% in the central part; - An ash rate of 1.4% +- 0.004% for duramen, 1.00% +- 0.004% for sapwood and 0,4% for central part; - A voluminal mass of 894.40 kg/m3 at 12% of humidity rate, classifying it thus among the heavy woods; - For duramen, a voluminal shrinkage of 6.05% +- 0.01%, a linear shrinkage of 2.62% +- 0.31% and a transverse shrinkage of 0.57% +- 0.26%. The knowledge of these physical features will permit to start well the survey of the mechanical and thermal behaviour of this construction material in Chad.
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