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ALEP (Desbordesia glaucescens)
Trade Name
Alep
Scientific Name
Desbordesia glaucescens Van Tiegh.
Family
IRVINGIACEAE
Common Names
Banga (Zaire); Alep (Gabon); Banga (Congo); Omang (Cameroon); Teva; Oteva; Omang; Oman; Kawo; Bwiba njoc; Banga; Aloi; Alo; Alep
Scientific Name Synonyms
Irvingia glaucescens Engl.; Desbordesia soyauxii van Tiegh.; Desbordesia pierreana van Tiegh.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 46 m, with diameters up to 100 to 170 cm. The bole is straight, clear, cylindrical, up to 23 m in height. As the tree grows older, the small but well developed buttresses hold the tree upright.
Natural Habitat
Desbordesia glaucescens occurs in alluvial areas, in dense evergreen forest and in transitional formations.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits larger than the interve Axial parenchyma in continuous tangential lines or fine bands. Prismatic crystals in short chains in chambered axial parenchyma cells. Over 9 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma bands more than 3 cells wide. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is yellowish to pale brown . The heartwood is pale brown with some dark veins, it is not clearly demarcated.
Grain
Straight or sometimes interlocked. Usually interlocked grain is absent or very slight, without any effect on further processing operations.
Texture
The wood is frequently reported to be fine textured.
Luster
The wood is described as low in luster.
Natural Durability
Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Internal Growth Stresses
For this species no growth stresses are reported.
Silica Content
Silica Content: Negligible content of silica is reported. Amounts over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0.01
Resistance To Impregnation
Difficult to treat with only a low penetration of the preservative products.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.90
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
1.05
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
10.9
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.8
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is rather slow and sometimes difficult to perform. Drying Defects: Risks of casehardening and checks Kiln Schedules: The kiln schedule has been tested.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-11
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1596
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
238390
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
817
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
119
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
145
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
1383
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
1353
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Not suitable for veneering.
Sliced Veneer
Not suitable for veneering.
Blunting Effect
Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.
Machining
It needs powerful tools for processing. Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.
Planing
Rather difficult; special tools are needed.
Moulding
Rather difficult; special tools are needed.
Boring
Rather difficult; special tools are needed.
Mortising
Rather difficult; special tools are needed.
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of high density.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Can be polished without surface preparation.
Response To Hand Tools
Working with hand tools is difficult.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, poles, rails, crossarms, crossties, piers, HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, frames, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Bridges
- 2 - 25 madeiras da amazonia de valor comercial, caracterizacao, macroscopica, usos comuns e indices qualificativos
Poles
- 3 - Estudo dendrologico e determinacao das caracteristicas fisicas e mecanicas do genipapo (Genipa americana)
Rails
- 6 - Physical and mechanical properties of Eucalyptus deglupta Blume grown in Costa Rica
Crossheads Crossarms
- 7 - Maderas latinoamericanas. II, Quercus alata Q. costaricensis y Q. eugeniaefolia
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
Piers
- 9 - Maderas latinoamericanas. IV, Nectandra sp. Ocotea austinii, Persea sp. aff. vesticula, Persea schiedeana
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Joists
- 12 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part I-Tropical American Species
Boards
- 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
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