Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

The article presents the results of research into the potential of black poplar wood as a material for the production of wood composites. Thanks to improved mechanical parameters, it can be used in furniture and construction joinery, offering an alternative to traditional wood species. The aim of the study was to analyse the possibility of modifying black poplar wood (Populus nigra) by applying oak and ash wood veneers. The main research question was to determine the extent to which the refinement process would affect the mechanical properties of the material, in particular its bending strength and modulus of elasticity under conditions of variable humidity. The mechanical properties were measured for three-point bending in accordance with PN-EN 408:2004. The results showed that the use of veneers from selected wood species significantly improves the mechanical properties of poplar wood composites. Samples with oak veneer achieved the highest bending strength (approx. 44 MPa), exceeding both the control samples (32 MPa) and samples with ash veneer (39 MPa). Ash wood, despite the lower strength of the poplar composite, improved the modulus of elasticity, which may be beneficial in certain applications. Analysis of changes under cyclic wetting and seasoning conditions indicated that wood modified with hardwood veneer stabilises its properties after initial changes caused by variable air humidity.