Slash Pine Wood: Properties and Uses

Slash Pine: Properties and Uses

• Other Names: Swamp pine, Cuban pine, yellow slash pine, southern pine.
• Scientific name: Pinus elliottii, 
• Genera: Pinaceae.
• Varieties: There are two varieties available are var. Elliottii, var. densa.
• Places where these trees are found: The slash pine is found in Florida, South Carolina, and southern part of Georgia, Alabama, the southern part of the Mississippi, and Louisiana where the eastern bank of the Mississippi is associated.

Physical properties of Slash Pine Wood

• Color of wood: The sapwood is yellowish-white, and the heartwood is reddish-brown.
• Structure of wood: The wood’s growth circles are well defined. The growth circles are clearly visible in the tangential and veneer wood. The growth circle is clearly defined on the radial surface, but the scratches on the growth circles are unclear. The wood has a lower resin content. The wood fibers are straight and have a smooth texture. There is enough space between the growth circles.
• Shrinkage: The wood is moderately shrinkable, but the structure of the wood can be beautifully saved after drying correctly. To reach the green condition to the 12% humidity state, 5.4% radial 7.6% tangential, and 12.1% total volumetric shrinkage takes place.
• Workability: It is easy and convenient to work with this wood.
• Weight, density, and specific gravity: This wood is the heaviest wood among the Southern pine woods. In green condition and in zero humidity, specific gravity is 0.54 (density 553 kg per cubic meter) based on the weight. In 12% humidity in green condition and in zero humidity, the specific gravity is 0.59 (density 604 kg per cubic meter) based on the weight.
• Moisture at the green condition: This information is not available. But like the Longleaf pine, the heartwood and the sapwood may contain 31% and 106% humidity.  
• Natural durability: The Heartwood is moderately durable, and the sapwood is sustainable.
• Seasoning property: This wood can be dried in the kin in perfect condition. Because it is denser than the other pine woods, this wood takes a little longer to dry properly. The resin in the wood protects it from the seasoning process.
• Treatability: In the pressure process, the sapwood is preservable, but the heartwood is not preservable.

Mechanical properties of Slash Pine Wood

Like the Longleaf pine, the Slash pine is also heavy, strong, stiff, hard, and moderately high hit tolerable. The density and strength of the wood are defined by the grading rule.

• Modulus of rupture: In green condition, the modulus of rupture of Slash pine is 60 Newton per square millimeter (8700 lb per square inch). In the 12% humidity, this modulus of rupture becomes 112.41 Newton per square millimeter (16300 lb per square inch). In the REB standard, the raw strength of the wood is 55.17 Newton per square millimeter (8000 lb per square inch).
• Work to maximum load: In green condition, this parameter for Slash pine is 0.266 kg per cubic meter (9.6 lb per cubic inch). In the 12% humidity, the parameter becomes 0.36 kg per cubic centimeter (13.2 lb per cubic inch).
• Impact bending: This information is not available.
• Compression parallel to grain- maximum crushing strength: In green condition, the maximum crushing strength of Slash pine is 26.34 Newton per square millimeter(3820 lb per square inch), in the 12% humidity, this parameter becomes 56.14 Newton per square millimeter (8140 lb per square inch).
• Compression perpendicular to the grain-fiber stress at the proportional limit: In green condition, the fiber stress at the proportional limit is 3.66 Newton per square millimeter (530 lb per square inch), in the 12% humidity, the parameter becomes 7.03 Newton per square millimeter (1020 lb per square inch).
• Shear parallel to grain-maximum shearing strength: In green condition, 6.62 Newton per square millimeter (960 lb per square inch), in the 12% humidity, this parameter become 11.59 Newton per square millimeter(1680 lb per square inch).
• Tension Perpendicular to grain- maximum tensile pressure: This information is unavailable. It can be considered as the same as Longleaf Pine.
• Side hardness- load perpendicular to grain: The information is unavailable. But it can be considered as the same as Longleaf Pine.

Uses of Slash Pine Wood

Slash Pine is similar to the Longleaf Pine and the Shortleaf Pine. It is considered the best among the Southern Pine. Some wild Turki, squirrels, and songbirds eat the seeds of Slash Pine.