A comparison of fibre and pulp properties of diploid and tetraploid Acacia mangium grown in Vietnam

Pulping properties and fibre characteristics of wood from eight-year-old ramets of 6 diploid and 5 tetraploid clones of Acacia mangium grown in Vietnam are reported. Individual clones were represented by two or three ramets. While kraft pulp yield at kappa 20 was very similar for diploid and tetraploids clones, tetraploid clones produced pulp with significantly longer (883 μm) and wider (20.0 μm) fibres, compared to the diploid clones (683 μm and 15.6 μm). The tetraploid cell wall thickness was greater, resulting in a coarser pulp. Pulmac fibre strengths of the tetraploid were greater than those of the diploid, although their fibre bonding area was lower. The kraft pulp of the best of the tetraploid clones had higher bulk, porosity and tear strength at constant tensile than pulp from a mix of diploid clones and was similar in these traits to softwood pulp.