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Rubberwood is the timber of Hevea brasiliensis or "Rubber
Tree". This type of trees is planted mainly for the yield of rubber
latex.
The trees start yielding latex after 5- 7 years of planting. However,
after 20 to 25 years, the trees cease to produce latex at an economic
level and are necessarily felled as part of replanting operations. Previously
the felled trees were of low commercial value and mainly used as firewood,
but today, due to technological developments,we can convert what was going
to waste into wood that has the properties of hardwood and can be used
for almost any purpose. Therefore this wood can be categorised as eco-friendly
in the sense that we are now using what was going as waste.
Rubberwood once treated acquires the properties of traditional hardwoods
and is comparable to Teak Wood. As of today, rubberwood has become one
of the most popular timbers for making furniture.Consequently, it gives
hope and trust to a person using wooden furniture that he will not have
to face the guilt of contributing to the destruction of our planet, since
a properly planned process of felling is undertaken, there is no hazard
to the environment and the supply is sustainable.
The Malaysian government had taken the initiative and was successful with
the initial export of rubberwood as a sawn timber and as timber products
(mainly furniture components). Rubberwood from a valueless timber almost
fifteen years ago, is now one of the major resource for making furniture
for export and for the production of panel products such as particleboards,
fibreboards (MDF), woodfibre cement-bonded particleboards, plywood and
other products.
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