Rubberwood comes from rubber trees and is valued for its density, grain, minimal shrinkage, and ability to accept finishes. It is considered environmentally friendly as the trees are cut down after 26-30 years of latex production. Rubberwood has good hardness, machinability, and takes stains and finishes well. It is commonly used for furniture, flooring, toys, panelling, mouldings, doors, windows, and packing cases. Rubberwood is a sustainable source of wood as the rubber plantations are replanted after harvesting.

1. M A T E R I A L presentation
JATIN SARVESH
hukkeri : MADHUMITHA
srinivasan : srinivasan
Rubberwood RV SCHOOL of ARCHITECTURE
09 SEMESTER

2. Rubberwood, also called
What is Rubberwood?
Para wood in Thailand,
Rubberwood is a
is used in high-end
hardwood from the furniture as it is valued for
maple family of woods its dense grain, attractive
Rubberwood is actually a colour, minimal
by-product from the culling shrinkage, and
of the rubber tree acceptance of different
finishes.
It is also prized as an
"environmentally
friendly" wood, as it
makes use of trees that
have been cut down at
the end of their latex-
producing cycle. The
older practice was to
burn the "useless" tree.
After the economic life of the
Properties of Rubberwood: rubber tree, which is generally
26-30 years, the latex yields
Density (kg/m³ at 16 C) ---------------------------- 560-640 become extremely low and
the planters then fell the
Tangential Shrinkage Coefficient (%) ------------- 1.2 rubber trees and plant new
Radical Shrinkage Coefficient (%) ----------------- 0.8 ones. So, unlike other woods
Hardness(N) ----------------------------------------------- 4,350 that are cut down for the sole
purpose of producing
Static Bending, N/mm at 12% MC ------------------ 66 furniture, rubberwood is used
Modulus of elasticity/mm at 12%MC ------------ 9,700 only after it completes it's
latex producing cycle and
dies..

3. Physical Properties
• Rubber wood is a light hardwood.
• The wood is whitish yellow or pale cream when freshly cut
and seasons to light straw or light brown.
• It is a diffuse porous wood with medium texture and straight
grain.
• Sapwood and heartwood are not distinct.
•Dry rubber wood has
better hardness than teak.
• Occurrence of tension
wood seen as white lustrous
zones when freshly cut is a
characteristic feature of
rubber wood.
•Rubber wood has good
machining and working
qualities. It can be
finished to a very glossy
•Rubber wood can be bent in steam or in ammonia to look on polishing and
make curved items. can be given ammonia
• It takes up stains well and being light in colour it can fumigation cum bark
be stained to the shades of teak, rosewood, mahogani, extract -quenching
beech, cherry etc. treatment to obtain
• Rubber wood offers good resistance to Screw and golden to dark brown
Nail withdrawal forces. hues and decorative
figures

4. The Wonders of Rubberwood
Rubberwood may sound flimsy, but the
wood from the Pará Rubber tree is actually a
strong, tightly grained wood that is
ideal for furniture, flooring, and even toys.
It is commonly cultivated
in South America and
Asia for its natural latex
sap. After its life cycle,
instead of these valuable
trees going to waste, they
are then cut down for
timber, and new rubber
trees are planted to
replenish the stock.
It withstands the kiln-drying
process with very little
Unlike mahogany or teak,
shrinkage and takes finishes rubberwood, is considered
well, which makes it perfect a sustainable source of
where a stable wood is
wood. Thus the rubber
India is now the third
required.
plantation is a sustainable largest producer
source of rubber as well as of natural rubber in the
timber, contributing
world.
positively to the
environment.

5. From the start of tree breeding
As we known
that Rubberwood –
to the first of latex collecting
takes around 7 years. Over 20
years of Rubberwood, most of
Past, Present
Rubberwood
villagers take some parts such
was brought to
as leaf to making a decoration
Thailand for
& Future
product or souvenir.
long time ago
from South
America and it
grows well in
any rain-forest
area.
At that time the need was only
the latex for producing rubber
products. The Rubberwood After 25-30 years, the
itself may understand as the Rubberwood are producing less
latex rate, then the tree will be
best plantation wood cutting down and the trunk are
because we can use send to the sawmill and the
completely all of it parts to
field will be replanting the
turn into products.
Rubberwood again.
Rubberwood will be treated
and saw to size and sale to
Rubberwood product
manufacturer. Instead of
throwing away of its by-
Sawdust from the wood is used
product such as , we also can
to make compressed fuel
use all of Rubberwood waste cubes and, believe it or not, the
as the raw material for finer dust is used to
medium density wood based manufacture incense sticks. It
also makes perfect mushroom
panel industry. cultivation material!

6. ApplicatIons
Rubberwood furnishings are very
solid, with a smooth, even look
which some people find quite
enjoyable. The wood is
sometimes compared to teak,
another close grained tropical
wood, and some people prefer
rubberwood to teak since teak is
not always a sustainable
choice. Many companies which focus on high
quality and unusual furniture use
rubberwood in their products.

7. Applications
Interiors –
 Panelling
 Mouldings
 Beadings
 Skirtings
 Edging
 Parquet
 Strip flooring

8. Applications
Kitchen Wares –
 Decorative and
household items such
as salad bowls, knife
blocks, book shelves,
trays, magazine racks
PICTURE

9. Applications
Building Components –
Used for making,
 Doors
 Windows
 Steps
 Railings
 Balusters etc.

10. Applications
Laminated Veneer Lumber
Rubber wood is being
used for making LVL,
which is a new wood
based panel product in
India.
Packing Cases
Rubber wood is a widely
used timber for making
packing cases.
Veneer and Plywood
 Rubber wood is
reportedly suitable for
making commercial
plywood.
 Rubber wood veneers
after proper treatment with
preservative is widely used
as plywood core stock.

11. M A T E R I A L presentation
JATIN SARVESH
hukkeri : MADHUMITHA
srinivasan : srinivasan
Rubberwood RV SCHOOL of ARCHITECTURE
09 SEMESTER