WACAPOU, ACAPU (Vouacapoua americana)
Trade Name
Wacapou, Acapu
Scientific Name
Vouacapoua americana Aubl.
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Bruinhart; Vacapon; Black Heart; Acapu (Brazil); Brown Heart; Amazon Wood; Wacapou; Sarebebeballi; Partridge Wood
Scientific Name Synonyms
Andira aubletii Benth.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium sized to large tree 30 to 35 m tall, with diameter at breast height usually 40 up to 100 cm. The boles are straight but the fluted in the base, 15 to 20 m long.
Natural Habitat
Vouacapoua americana grows scattered in the primary forests of northern South America. A slow-growing timber species, it is considered to be endangered in the official list compiled by IBAMA of threatened Brazilian plants, but in French Guiana the volum
Natural Distribution
The Guyanas and Brazil, especially in the Para State.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 150 to 200 micras (medium). Occasionally vessels with colored deposits. Occasionally white deposits in heartwood vessels. Vessels per mm2 6 to 10 (medium) Occasionally axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Occasionally prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
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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
Dry wood has no characteristic odor or taste.
Color
The sapwood is clearly demarcated. The heartwood is dark brown or reddish brown, darkening upon exposure. Colored parenchyma lines are reported to be present.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
2
Grain
Grain is fairly straight, sometimes irregular.
Texture
Texture is rather coarse, but uniform.
Luster
Luster is generally low to medium.
Natural Durability
It is very resistant to attack by decay-causing organisms. It is also reported to be resistant to attack by termites and other dry-wood insects.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Resistance To Impregnation
This species is impermeable.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.81
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.93
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.7
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.6
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: It is reported to be easy to moderately difficult to air season depending on the species. Drying Defects: Severe checking and tendency to warping are reported. Kiln Schedules: Air seasoning before kiln drying is recommended.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
US-T7-B3
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.5
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1721
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
164020
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
860
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
85
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
114
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
785
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
729
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species is difficult.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
This species is interesting for slicing (after thermal treatment), but the veneer is reported to be rather brittle.
Sliced Veneer
This species is interesting for slicing (after thermal treatment), but the veneer is reported to be rather brittle.
Blunting Effect
The wood has moderate blunting effect on cutting edges because of its hardness.
Planing
The material is reported to be moderately difficult to plane. Specially tipped cutters have been suggested.
Turning
30
Boring
Boring operations are reported to be easy, but there may be some torn grain.
Mortising
The timber is reported to mortise well, but worked surfaces tend to be rough.
Nailing
Pre-boring is recommended since the wood splits readily, but nail-holding qualities are good.
Gluing
The wood is reported to take glue well.
Sanding
Sanding operations are reported to be easy, and sanded surfaces tend to be very smooth.
Polishing
The wood has good polishing characteristics.
Response To Hand Tools
The material is reported to respond poorly to hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, frames, steps, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, cutlery, TOOLS, agricultural tools, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat fins, port pillar, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, axle, yoke
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
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
- 17 - Tree Conservation Database
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
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
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
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
Boat Fins
- 58 - Guía de Árboles de Bolivia
Port Pillar
- 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino
Port Storage
- 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Other & Musical Instruments
- 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
Axles
- 73 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Yokes
- 74 - World Timbers, Vol.2, North and South America
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