ORIGINAL ARTICLE Improved performance of compressed oil palm trunk prepared from modified pre-steaming technique Nurjannah Salim 1 • Rokiah Hashim 2 • Othman Sulaiman 2 • Mazlan Ibrahim 2 • Mohammed Nasir 2 • Masatoshi Sato 3 • Tomoko Sugimoto 4,5 • Salim Hiziroglu 6 Received: 29 July 2015 / Accepted: 24 September 2015 Ó Indian Academy of Wood Science 2015 Abstract Malaysia is one of the biggest producers of palm oil in the world but the oil palm wood is considered as waste after final harvesting. A huge and inexpensive availability of oil palm trunk (OPT) can be a sustainable source of alternative wood for various structural applica- tions, if it can be utilized. The objective of this work was to prepare a steamed treated compressed OPT lumber and evaluate the physical, chemical and biological properties of modified wood. In this technique OPT samples were steamed at temperature 130 °C for 2 h before being com- pressed at high temperature. Wettability of the steam compressed OPT was analysed by contact angle method and observed it was reduced as compared to simply com- pressed OPT. Samples were exposed to outdoor conditions to evaluate their resistance against biological deterioration. Microscope and X-ray diffraction analyses of the samples were also carried out. Steamed compressed OPTs exhibited improved resistance against biodegradation probably due to the increase of extractives in it, as compared to simply compressed OPTs. It seems that steaming in combination of compressing at high temperature would enhance the properties of OPTs. Keywords Biodegradability  Contact angle  Soil burial test  Crystallinity Introduction Increasing demand of wooden products and limited supply of commercial timber is a serious concern of demand– supply chain and sustained natural forest health. The increasing shortage of regular timber has forced the wood based industries to utilise other non-commercial wood as alternative wood in order to satisfy the market (Sulaiman et al. 2009). Nowadays, the wood composite industries such as plywood, laminated timber, fiberboard, particle- board etc. are growing significantly due to their wide range of raw materials, consistent properties and reduced cost. Wood composite exhibits many advantages over solid wood like, smooth and uniform structure, knots free sur- face, dimensional stability, desirable sizes and thickness, and easier to work. Composite panels are being used widely to produce products such as furniture, cabinets, paneling and underlayment. Various non-commercial, low quality woods are under intensive investigation for their commercial application in structural purposes. Malaysia’s economy relies on two such plantation crops i.e. oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) and rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis). The oil palm tree was first introduced to Malaysia in 1871 and now it is one of the main agricultural cash crops of the country. Generally, the & Rokiah Hashim hrokiah@usm.my 1 Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia 2 Division of Bioresource, Paper and Coatings Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia 3 Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan 4 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-1, Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan 5 Present Address: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan 6 Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078-6013, USA 123 J Indian Acad Wood Sci DOI 10.1007/s13196-015-0155-1