Rubberwood as a Substitute ＂Tropical Whitewood＂ for Ramin in Asia

Paul M. Smith ； Ivan L. Eastin ； I-An Jen

《林產工業》 9卷2期 (1990/06) Pp. 71-85

摘要

拉敏〔俗稱白木〕產於印尼、沙勞越以及馬來西亞的其他地區。在六十年代以及七十年代是亞洲家具工業主要的木料用材。在七十年代中期印尼的拉敏供應量佔全世界的百分之八十五以上。爾後，有兩個因素影響拉敏木材的需求：（1）拉敏木材價格高漲（1971年每立方公尺為19.8元美元到1979年漲為246.5美元）（2）印尼政府限制拉敏出口。因此，亞洲家具業者積極尋求替代拉敏的材種。橡膠木原本廣泛栽種於馬來西亞，印尼及泰國等地。主要為採煉乳膠的原料樹種，橡膠木在20至25年生時乳膠開始減產，因此過去過於成熟的樹都被拿來當作燃料材或生產木炭，其餘的就地燒毀。近年來，橡膠木被亞洲家具生產國採用為製造高價值家具的木料用材，由於對此木材資源利用效率提高，致使橡膠木身價倍增，在馬來西亞（目前是橡膠木最大出口國）1979年橡膠木出口量是900m^3，到1989年增加到250,000m^3。本文主要在調查橡膠木變成有價值家具材料的背後原因，以及技術面與市場面的因素。特別是在拉敏木材短缺，以橡膠木替代拉敏，其在加工，乾燥以及整飾等家具製作過程中技術上的處理，以及此種以橡膠木為原料加工發展之私人工業組織情況之變遷。

並列摘要

Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), located principally in Indonesia and Sarawak, Malaysia, was highly sought after by the Asian furniture and moulding industries throughout the 1960's and 1970's. By the mid-1970's, Indonesia represented the source for over 85 percent of the world's ramin sawntimber. However, two key factors affected the demand for ramin: first, the price for ramin had escalated from $19.80 (US)/m^3 in 1971 to $246.50 (US)/m^3 in 1979 and second, the Indonesian government established policies to inhibit the export of unprocessed ramin. As a result, several Asian furniture manufacturers began to seriously investigate alternative sources of ＂tropical whitewood＂ raw materials. Rubberwood [Hevea brasiliensis HBK) Muell. Arg.] has been planted exten-sively in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other southeast Asian countries for the production of latex. The latex yield of the rubberwood tree begins to decline at age 20 to 25 years and overmature trees were traditionally burned on the site, used for fuelwood or used for charcoal production. More recently, rubberwood has gained acceptance as a valuable furniture species within the Asian furniture industry. The value of rubberwood has been greatly increased in recent years through a more efficient utilization of the resource. In Malaysia, the leading producer of rubberwood lumber, exports have increased from 900m^3 in 1979 to 250,000m^3 in 1989. This study investigates the impetus behind the search for an alternative raw material for ramin as well as the technological and marketing aspects of this process. In particular, this research examines the ramin resource situation, the suitability of rubberwood as a substitute for ramin, the technological aspects of treating, processing, drying and finishing rubberwood for furniture applications, the private and industrial organizations behind this development process and the industrial markets for rubberwood lumber products.