KERANJI (Dialium cochinchinense)
Trade Name
Keranji
Scientific Name
Dialium cochinchinense Pierre
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Keranji (Sarawak); Mackhang (Sarawak); Xai met (Sarawak); Kralah (Cambodia); Lang (Vietnam); Xoay nai (Vietnam); Xoay (Vietnam); Khleng (Thailand)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall. The bole is up to 50 cm in diameter.
Natural Habitat
It is a large tree, found in various forest types throughout Indo-China south into Peninsular Thailand and Malaysia. Dialium cochinchinense occurs in evergreen and deciduous forests, from the sea level up to 300 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
It can be found in Thailand and Laos, occasionally Sarawak in dry evergreen forests.
Plantations Available?
Plantations are reported in Malaysia
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Axial parenchyma in narrow bands on lines up to 3 cells wide. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays storied. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Fibers very thick walled. Fibers storied.
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Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
It has no taste or odor.
Color
The sapwood is yellowish-white. The heartwood ranges from light brown to reddish-brown when freshly cut, turning darker on exposure.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
The grain is wavy or interlocked.
Texture
The texture is typically fine to moderately coarse and even.
Luster
It is moderately to highly lustrous.
Natural Durability
Timber occasionally attacked by termites, pinhole borer attack on felled logs has been reported. It is not resistant to marine borers.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.87
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
1.01
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.9
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.6
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
UK-E; US-T2-D2
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.2
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1622
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
177612
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
770
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
179
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
576
Workability
Sawing
It is difficult to saw, especially when seasoned.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Lamination of this species is possible.
Sliced Veneer
Lamination of this species is possible.
Blunting Effect
The wood blunts saw teeth and cutter edges rapidly, and chromium-plated teeth are recommended.
Machining
It is easy to machine.
Planing
It produces a moderately smooth finish in planing, but it has tendency to grain pick-up on radial faces.
Boring
Boring is reported to be easy.
Nailing
Pre-boring is needed.
Gluing
The timber is reported to glue well.
Finishing
The behavior in finishing is good to fair.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, poles, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, SPORTS, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Poles
- 3 - Estudo dendrologico e determinacao das caracteristicas fisicas e mecanicas do genipapo (Genipa americana)
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Common
- 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Sports
- 38 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
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