Nuestra Madera -

Our Wood

PAULOWNIA WOOD

Paulownia wood is a versatile and durable material with a multitude of applications. Its unique combination of lightness (it weighs one-third as much as oak), strength, dimensional stability, and insect resistance makes it the preferred choice in many sectors, from construction and furniture to crafts and beyond. With the continued development of new technologies and techniques, the potential of paulownia wood continues to grow, promising innovative and sustainable uses for the future.

Features and Benefits:

  • Knot-free: This characteristic significantly reduces waste during processing, making Paulownia wood attractive to buyers.
  • Insulating properties: Excellent insulating properties and high thermal resistance, with an ignition temperature twice as high as other types of wood.
  • Versatile uses: Thanks to its extraordinary properties, paulownia is used in a wide variety of fields.

Physical Characteristics:

Lightness: Dry density of about 260 kg/m³, making it one of the lightest woods.
Strength and durability: Modulus of elasticity of 5.6 GPa and modulus of rupture of 28 MPa, indicating the wood's great strength despite its relatively light weight.

Dimensional stability: Low shrinkage coefficient (0.094 radial, 0.268 tangential and 0.362 in volume), which guarantees great dimensional stability of the finished products.

Specific characteristics:

  • Insect and decay resistance:Paulownia wood is highly resistant to insect attack and decay. Research shows that it does not attract termites.
  • Thermal insulation capacity:One of the best among woods, far superior to brick, concrete or steel.
  • Low thermal conductivity:Excellent heat retention.
  • Easy to process:The wood is easy to work with, does not crack or flake, and glues and finishes are easy to apply.
  • Easy to use:Ideal for carpentry, furniture making, nail and screw fixing, polishing, cutting and processing.
  • Outdoor Durability:When used outdoors above ground, paulownia has a similar longevity to western red cedar and should be treated with at least two coats of water-repellent sealer.

Behavior of Paulownia Wood when Processed:

ColourOverall light or pale in colour, it is often compared in appearance to ash. Sapwood is yellowish-white, heartwood is pale greyish-brown. Heartwood is not clearly differentiated from sapwood. No knots.

FiberStraight

Grain:Coarse.

Density:Light wood with an approximate density of 265-280 kg/m 3 at 12% humidity.3 al 12% de humedad.

Hardness:This is a softwood with a score of 1.3 on the Monnin test. It offers an excellent hardness-to-density ratio. Note that although it is not a hardwood, it is one of the lightest woods available.

Durability:Moderate. Good resistance to rot. Can be used outdoors, although under cover.

Dimensional Stability:Volumetric shrinkage coefficient: slightly tense wood, between 0.26-0.33%

Mechanical Properties:

  • Compressive strength: 211 kg/cm 22
  • Static flexural strength: 440 kg/cm 22
  • Modulus of elasticity: 44,600 kg/cm 22

Workability:Very easy to work, due among other things to its straight grain and lightness.

  • No problem, although in pieces with high silica content a clogging problem may occur.
  • Fast and without any significant problems. Outdoor drying takes between 40 and 50 days. In kilns, the process can be reduced to 48 hours. Low risk of warping.
  • No problems, just like sawing.
  • Clavado y Atornillado sin problemas.
  • Requires the use of products to seal the pore.

Various uses of Paulownia wood:

  1. Construction and buildings:Roofs, stairs, windows, modular buildings, tiny houses, wooden facades, structures for fairs, events and stages. It is used for carpentry, wall panels, floors and roofs due to its lightness, resistance and insulation.
  2. Furniture manufacturing:Ideal for lightweight, durable furniture such as cabinets, tables, chairs, and shelving.
  3. Musical instruments:It is used for the body of electric guitars, pianos and other instruments due to its acoustic resonance.
  4. Sports equipment:Manufacture of surfboards, wakeboards and other water sports equipment thanks to their lightness and water resistance.
  5. Crafts and sculpture:Perfect for sculpting and crafts thanks to its ease of use and lightness.
  6. Packaging:Boxes, crates and other containers due to their lightness and strength.
  7. Aeronautics and naval:components for aircraft and ships, with special attention to lightness and resistance.
  8. Panels and veneers:Wood panels for various applications due to their smooth and uniform texture.
  9. Gardening products:Pots, trellises and garden furniture for their resistance to moisture and insects.
  10. Beehive construction:Ideal for beehives due to its lightness and thermal insulation.
  11. Toys:Toys, models and puzzles for their safety (resin-free) and ease of handling.
  12. Interior decoration:frames, moldings and other decorative elements for their versatility and aesthetic appeal.
  13. Use in marine carpentry:Construction of small boats and canoes due to its buoyancy and water resistance.
  14. Paulownia Boards:One of the most interesting applications or uses of this wood is in board manufacturing. Considering its characteristics, the result will be lightweight boards with interesting properties.
  • Paulownia edge-glued panels.Obtained by gluing several slats together. These panels can also be used to make three-ply paulownia panels, i.e., three slats laid in alternating directions.
  • Paulownia plywood.This is perhaps the option with the greatest potential, as the result is a very lightweight board with improved dimensional stability and strength.
  • Paulownia veneers.This species is suitable for the peeling technique. These veneers are primarily used for plywood production, although they could also be used for other types of boards, or even for decorative purposes.