PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FOUR SALIX SPECIES

The increasing use of Salix species in the manufacture of various products has been attracting interest towards the Salicaceae family in South America. This paper reports the physical and mechanical parameters of Salix viminalis L. (purple osier), Salix x rubens Schrank (basket willow), Salix purpurea Linné (purple willow) and Salix sp., cultivated in the Canoas River Valley, in the Serra Catarinense region of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The evaluations were conducted with raw material, the most commonly used format in handcrafts, and the results indicate there are differences in physical and mechanical properties among the species. Salix viminalis and Salix purpurea were similar in density and in their modulus of elasticity, and had higher values of tensile and strength modulus than Salix x rubens and Salix sp.