FIBRE QUALITY: LENGTH AND SLENDERNESS RATIO OF FIBRE ADJACENT TO SMALL VESSELS OF <em>ACACIA</em> <em>MANGIUM</em>

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe the length and slenderness ratio of fibre based on its distance from a small vessel (diameter 85–109 μm). The wood block 10 mm x 5 mm x 20 mm (R x T x L) was softened, sliced and photographed using a confocal laser scanning microscope. The serial sections were aligned using Reconstruct software. Fibre length was obtained by multiplying section thickness (25 um) by number of cross sections and image J software, respectively, in which the focused wood fibres appeared. The slenderness ratio value was calculated using the formula: fibre length/fibre diameter. Small vessels only caused two adjacent fibres to be shorter and have a smaller slenderness ratio compared to fibres distant from those vessels. Pressure from large vessels caused the five fibres to have a shorter length than the two fibres compressed by small vessels. No statistical difference was found in the slenderness ratio value of fibres adjacent to both large and small vessels, and those distant from large and small vessels, but the two fibres
adjacent to the small vessels were significantly longer than the five fibres adjacent to the large vessels.