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NGANGA (Cynometra hankei)
Trade Name
Nganga
Scientific Name
Cynometra hankei Harms
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Wehu (Zaire); Baraka (Zaire); Nkokom (Cameroon); Ekop-nganga (Cameroon); Nganga
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 20 to 50 m, with trunk diameters from 30 to 170 cm. The bole is fluted, buttressed up to 8 m in length.
Natural Habitat
Cynometra hankei occurs in dense forests on sandy soil, also on high plateaus at 500 m of altitude.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less (very small). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to i Axial parenchyma in discontinuous tangential lines. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Rays 1 to 2 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). 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 pale brown, it has a thickness of up to 2.5 cm. The heartwood is red-brown, often ribbon-like heartwood, it is clearly demarcated.
Grain
Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
Medium texture is reported in this species.
Luster
Luster is reported to be low.
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
Residual growth stresses are absent.
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)
0.84
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.97
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.9
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.4
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: It dries moderately slow to moderately rapid without serious defects. Drying Defects: Some slight end checking is recorded.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-11
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.8
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1672
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
195923
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
894
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
135
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
100
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
1185
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
1197
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing.
Blunting Effect
Severe blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are recommended.
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, rails, crossarms, crossties, piers, HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, 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
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Decorative veneer
- 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
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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