Softwood
Scots pine
, a typical and well-known softwoodSoftwood is
angiosperm trees. The main differences between hardwoods and softwoods is that the softwoods completely lack vessels (pores).[1] The main softwood species (pines, spruces, larches, false tsugas) also have resin canals (or ducts) in their structure.[2]
Characteristics
Softwood is
balsa wood, which is a hardwood, is softer than most softwoods, whereas the longleaf pine, Douglas fir, and yew softwoods are much harder than several hardwoods.[citation needed
]
Several specific natural, macroscopic and microscopic features of wood are used in the identification process of a softwood species.[5]
Softwoods are generally most used by the construction industry and are also used to produce
paper pulp, and card products.[6] In many of these applications, there is a constant need for density and thickness monitoring and gamma-ray sensors have shown good performance in this case.[7]
Certain species of softwood are more resistant to insect attack from woodworm, as certain insects prefer damp hardwood.
Examples of softwood trees and uses
- joinery, doors and heavy construction
- Eastern white pine- furniture
- European spruce- used throughout construction, panelling and cladding
- Larch - cladding and boats
- Lodgepole pine - roofing, flooring and in making chipboard and particle board[8]
- Monterey pine
- Parana pine- stair treads and joinery (critically endangered)
- Scots pine- construction industry, mostly for interior work
- Sitka spruce[9]
- Southern yellow pine - joinery, flooring and decking
- Western hemlock- doors, joinery and furniture
- roof shingles
- Yew - interior and exterior furniture (e.g., chairs, gate posts and wood turning)
Applications
Softwood is the source of about 80% of the world's production of
timber,[10] with traditional centres of production being the Baltic region (including Scandinavia and Russia), North America
and China. Softwood is typically used in construction as structural carcassing timber, as well as finishing timber.
See also
- List of woods
- United States – Canada softwood lumber dispute
- Hardwood
- Janka hardness test
- Brinell scale
References
- ^ "Softwood Anatomy". The Wood Database. 2012-11-15. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ Bond, Brian; Hamner, Peter, Wood Identification for Hardwood and Softwood Species Native to Tennessee
- ^ Buckley, Michael (2005). "A basic guide to softwoods and hardwoods" (PDF). worldhardwoods.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ "Top Ten Hardest Woods | The Wood Database". Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ "Softwood Identification Criteria" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-12-16. Presentation by Dr. George I. Mantanis (Univ. of Thessaly, 2024)
- ^ Ryan, V. (2012). "REVISION CARDS - SOFTWOODS". technologystudent.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- S2CID 115945689.
- ^ "Things we make from softwood trees". forestry.gov.uk. 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ Harding, T. (1988). "British Softwoods:Properties and Uses" (PDF). forestry.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ United Nations Forest Products Annual Market Review 2007-2008, p. 46, at Google Books
External links
Media related to Softwood at Wikimedia Commons
