DOUSSIé (Afzelia bella)
Trade Name
Doussié
Scientific Name
Afzelia bella var.gracilior Keay
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Pau conta (Guinea-Bissau); Afzelia (United States of America); N'kokongo (Congo); M'banga (Cameroon); N'kokongo (Angola); Bolengu (Zaire); Chanfuta (United States of America); Afzelia (United Kingdom); Mkora (Tanzania); Mbembakofi (Tanzania); Kpendei (Sierra Leone); Lingue (Senegal); Chanfuta (Portugal); Apa (Nigeria); Aligna (Nigeria); Mussacossa (Mozambique); Chanfuta (Mozambique); Pauconta (Guinea-Bissau); Papao (Ghana); Afzelia (Germany); Azodau (Côte d`Ivoire); Lingue (Côte d`Ivoire); N`kokongo (Congo); Doussie (Cameroon); M`banga (Cameroon); Uvala (Angola)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Afzelia microcarpa A. Chev.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
Massive tree with heights of 32 to 40 m and diameters up to 100 to 170 cm and more. Rarely straight boles, from 10 to 16 m in length. Large irregular buttresses are often present. Log is banned for international trading.(Cameroon
Natural Habitat
Afzelia bella occurs in closed forest and scattered in rain forest. It reaches best development on moist sites.
Natural Distribution
West and southern East Africa, from Guinea to Angola and Mozambique.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous.
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Wood Macro Photo Tangential Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is whitish to pale yellow, it has a thickness of 2 to 5 cm. The heartwood is reddish brown, it is clearly demarcated.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
The texture of the wood is frequently coarse.
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.
Resistance To Impregnation
Nearly impossible to treat with a too much low penetration of the preservative substances.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.6305760943
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.70
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.2
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.0
Drying Defects
Drying Defects: It is prone to warping, some checking is also reported.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-6
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.7
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
923
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
125239
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
569
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
74
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
65
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
608
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
704
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing.
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
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Moulding
Easy; no particular problems.
Turning
30
Boring
Easy; no particular problems.
Mortising
Easy; no particular problems.
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of the extracts content.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Needs pre-coating.
Steam Bending
This species can be used for steam bending.
Response To Hand Tools
Working with hand tools is difficult.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, CONTAINERS, cooperage, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, boat hulls, boat deck, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, shingle
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
- 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Fittings
- 19 - Silica in Timbers
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Luxury
- 22 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section IV-Asian and Oceanian Woods
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Decorative veneer
- 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Ornaments
- 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
- 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
Cooperage
- 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boats
- 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
Boat Hulls
- 57 - Estadísticas de Aprovechamiento, Exportación y comercialización Nacional de Productos Forestales
Boat Decking
- 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Port Storage
- 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Shingles
- 77 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume I; Tapajós National Forest
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