MECHANICAL AND HYGROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF CHESTNUT WOOD (CASTANEA SATIVA MILL.) FROM MOUNT ATHOS

Abstract

Chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.) from Mount Athos remains insufficiently studied compared to other Mediterranean provenances of the species. In this study, basic mechanical properties (bending strength, compressive strength, impact strength, and hardness) and hygroscopic properties (water absorption and linear swelling) were determined on wood samples collected during 2018, 2019, and 2020, in accordance with the relevant ISO standards. Statistical processing of the results was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate potential differences between collection years. Wood density remained statistically stable over the three-year period (approximately 0.62–0.63 g/cm³), while bending strength and modulus of elasticity showed no statistically significant differences. Conversely, compressive strength, impact strength, and Janka hardness showed statistically significant differences be-tween years (p < 0.001), with a downward trend from 2018 to 2020. Regarding hygroscopic properties, statistically significant differences between years were observed mainly after 48 h of immersion, but not after 24 h. The results were compared with corresponding values in the international literature and found to fall within comparable ranges; they provide primary reference data for this specific Greek population.