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KIKENSI (Ocotea usambarensis)
Trade Name
Kikensi
Scientific Name
Ocotea usambarensis Engl.
Family
LAURACEAE
Common Names
East African Camphorwood (United Kingdom); Kikensi (Zaire); Mkulo (Tanzania); Muziti (Kenya); Muura (Kenya)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 40 to 43 m. The bole is fluted and has good form to 8 m in length. The trunk diameter attains from 170 to 200 cm.
Natural Habitat
Ocotea usambarensis occurs in mountain rain forests, up to 2,000 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
Eastern Africa.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 150 micras (small). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 6 to 10 (medium). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits coarse Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Non-crystals in axial parenchyma cells. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays commonly 2 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Oil and/or mucilage cells at marginal cells of ray parenchyma. Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows o Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
Pleasant odor of camphor.
Color
The sapwood is paler than the heartwood. The heartwood is pale yellow-brown when freshly cut, darkening to a deep brown on exposure, it is not clearly demarcated.
Grain
Straight or highly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
Texture is mostly fine to medium.
Natural Durability
Moderately durable to decay. Without preservative treatment, this species can be used only under risk of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Sensible to termites attack. The heart
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
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)
0.54
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.59
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Moderately difficult to dry.
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
850
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
101085
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
505
Workability
Sawing
It is easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.
Blunting Effect
Slight blunting effect; ordinary tools can be used for sawing and machining.
Machining
Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.
Planing
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Moulding
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Boring
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Mortising
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Nailing
No particular problem.
Gluing
Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.
Sanding
Difficult to obtain very good results because of interlocked grain.
Polishing
Can be polished without surface preparation.
Response To Hand Tools
No particular problems.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, cores, TOOLS, PACKING, CONTAINERS, cooperage, chemical storage, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, matches, paper
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Fittings
- 19 - Silica in Timbers
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Cores
- 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Containers
- 50 - Properties of imported tropical woods
Cooperage
- 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Chemical Storage
- 52 - Propiedades mecanicas y asociadas del pino insigne (Pinus radiata d.don)
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
Boats
- 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
Matches
- 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement
Paper
- 82 - Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign woods (Part 2) Central and South America.
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