Physical Properties of Three Commercial Hardwoods in Indonesia

Indonesia has abundant biodiversity and valuable timber species are used as essential raw materials in various industries. The objective of this study was to provide physical properties and dimensional stability information of three kinds of wood species that are categorized as fast-growing wood, namely Gmelina (Gmelina arborea Roxb.), Nyatoh (Palaquium spp.), and Waru (Hibiscus tiliaceus), which can support the appropriate and sustainable use of these woods. Gmelina exhibited the lowest tangential-to-radial shrinkage ratio (T/R) (1.01), indicating better dimensional stability compared to Nyatoh and Waru. Nyatoh exhibited intermediate physical properties with a T/R ratio of 1.83. Waru exhibited the lowest dimensional stability with a T/R ratio of 2.13. Overall, the results of this study highlight the differences in physical properties and dimensional stability among the three wood species under identical testing conditions and provide reference data to support material selection and further research on these commercially important tropical woods.