摘要
Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. is an important industrial crop for natural rubber production. Latex biosynthesis occurs in the cytoplasm of highly specialized latex cells and latex bleeds out when the bark is tapped. Ethylene stimulation acts by increasing latex flow to the cells of inner bark from the latex cells, increasing yield and may affect the physical properties of rubberwood. The aim of this work was to assess the permeability properties of ethylene treated rubberwood （TRW） relative to untreated rubberwood （URW）, because in wood industrial technology, permeability relates to bondability and wood preservative treatments. The Hevea samples were of PRIM 600 strain, from 20-25 years old rubber trees. The TRW rubber trees had been stimulated by ethylene gas for six years. The rubberwood specimens were collected at a single plot of plantation to minimize variations in soil fertility, environmental exposures and silvicultural treatments at Tumbon Chaibury, Amphor Chaibury, Suratthani Province, Thailand. The moisture contents （MC） of fresh rubberwood were significantly different （P 〈 0.05） at 75% for TRW and 64% for URW. The permeability experiment followed Darcy＇s law, and the hydrostatic pressure was controlled. The average 0.005 Darcy water permeability of TRW was significantly higher than the 0.001 Darcy for URW. Water absorptions during 4 h water immersion of rubberwood blocks differed significantly, and TRW had higher absorption than URW also across 6 d of immersion. Scanning electron microscope （SEM） imaging showed anatomical effects that contribute to the fivefold permeability increase.
