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ZINGANA (Microberlinia brazzavillensis)
Trade Name
Zingana
Scientific Name
Microberlinia brazzavillensis A.Chev.
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Zingana (Cameroon); Zebrawood (United Kingdom); Zebrano (United Kingdom); Zebrano (Germany); Zingana (Gabon)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Berlinia brazzavillensis (A. Chev.) Troupin
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 50 m. The bole is usually straight, up to 16 m in length, low buttressed. The trunk diameter attains 130 to 170 cm.
Natural Habitat
Microberlinia brazzavillensis is found in coastal forests. It is a gregarious species, sometimes reported in pure stands along riverbanks. The wild population has been or is inferred to be in decline(50% in 5 years or 2 generations or for a small populati
Natural Distribution
West Africa, mainly in Gabon and Cameroon.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays and/or axial elements irregularly storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is whitish, it has a thickness of 10 cm. The heartwood is pale yellow brown, with thin and numerous dark brown veins, it is clearly demarcated.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
The texture is typically medium to coarse.
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. Moderately resistant to termites attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Internal Growth Stresses
Residual stresses are reported to be absent.
Resistance To Impregnation
Difficult to treat with only a low penetration of the preservative products.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.72
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.81
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
14.0
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.8
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is moderately difficult to difficult; special care is systematically needed. Drying Defects: Risks of checks, casehardening and water pockets Kiln Schedules: The kiln schedule has been tested.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-11
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1109
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
204606
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
624
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
83
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
147
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
827
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
899
Workability
Sawing
It is moderately easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing.
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.
Turning
30
Boring
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Mortising
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of high density.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Needs pre-coating.
Response To Hand Tools
Working with hand tools is difficult.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, cutlery, lasts, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat fins, boat deck, boat oars, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
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
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
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Lasts
- 34 - Embassy of Indonesia in Japan
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
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Fins
- 58 - Guía de Árboles de Bolivia
Boat Decking
- 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Boat Oars
- 60 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume II; Curuá-Una Experimental Forest Station
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
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