Hardwood
– Characteristics:
– Hardwoods produced by angiosperm trees with broad leaves
– Hardwoods have more complex structure than softwoods
– Hardwoods grow slower than softwoods
– Hardwoods have pores or vessels
– Wood hardness varies within hardwoods and softwoods
– Chemistry:
– Hardwoods contain cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin
– Hardwood lignin differs from softwood lignin
– Hardwoods have fewer extractives than softwoods
– Extractives in hardwoods include aliphatic compounds, terpenes, and phenolic compounds
– Hardwoods are rich in phenolic compounds
– Applications:
– Hardwoods used in fuel, construction, furniture making, etc.
– Tropical hardwood supply diminishing due to over-exploitation
– Cheaper hardwood products may have softwood cores
– Hardwoods commonly used in furniture and musical instruments
– Different hardwood species suited for different uses due to varied characteristics
– Cooking:
– Denser hardwoods like oak, cherry, and apple burn hotter and longer
– Softwoods like pine or cedar burn quickly due to low density
– Hardwoods suitable for campfires, cooking fires, and smoking meat
– See also:
– List of woods
– Hardwood flooring
– Softwood
– Janka hardness test
– Brinell scale
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2014) |
Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from angiosperm trees) contrasts with softwood (which is from gymnosperm trees).
