Characterization of coconut (Cocos nucifera) trunk’s properties and evaluation of its suitability to be used as raw material for cross laminated timber production

•Structure and properties of coconut trunks of different ages and sizes are explored.•At a given relative radius, fractions of fiber cell of all trunks are roughly similar.•At a given relative radius, densities in each trunk are slightly different.•Each property is strongly related to density regardless of the trunk’s age and size.•At a certain density, coconut wood has superior properties than structural timbers. Anatomical characteristics, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of coconut trunks with two different ages and sizes were investigated aiming to evaluate its suitability to be used as raw material for cross laminated timber (CLT) production. At a given relative radius, fractions of fiber cell in all trunks were roughly similar but with slightly different densities. Each property appeared to fall into a single master curve with respect to density regardless of the trunk’s age and size. At a certain density, coconut wood had equivalent or superior dimensional stability, mechanical and insulation properties compared with structural timbers used in CLT panel.