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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Luster Mortising Moulding Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Apeiba aspera Trade Name Duru Family Name Tiliaceae Common Names Arastioelan, Borredaballi, Burillo, Corcho, Cortezo, Cortica, Duru, Gargauba, Maqui-sapa, Maquisapa, Peine de mico, Peine de mono Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname Common Uses Insulating boards, Raft floats, Rafts Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Tropical America, predominantly in northern South America (Brazil). Believed to be in Peru as well, often found in dry medium loamy soils. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Yellow - light Pale brown Light brown Sapwood Color Red Brown Yellow Indistinct from heartwood Grain Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Coarse Medium Medium to coarse Bands of soft cottony material are occasionally present Luster High Rather lustrous Natural Durability Perishable Moderately durable Non-durable Vulnerable to attack by the blue-stain or sap-stain fungi, especially in green condition Very little resistance to decay Moderately durable Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Siliceous Silica leverls of 5% is considered to be the mininum to affect machining properties Contains about 3% (ovendry weight) silica Ease of Drying Rapidly Reconditioning Treatement Seasons rapidly and readily Tree Size Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources The ITTO reports that timber is produced and exported only occasionally from this species. Blunting Effect Little Slight blunting effect on cutters Boring Poor to very poor results Fairly difficult to very difficult Difficult The wood is fairly difficult to bore because of irregular bands of soft tissue Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Low resistance to cutting Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fair gluing properties Mortising Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to mortise Moulding Poor to Very Poor Results Shaping or moulding is difficult Planing Poor to Very Poor Results Smooth surfaces are difficult to achieve due to bands of soft tissue in the wood Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Very easy to impregnate with preservatives Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Responds well to hand tools Bands of soft tissue may pose some problems Routing & Recessing Poor to Very Poor Results Difficult to recess or rout Sanding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly difficult to sand Turning Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to turn due to presence of bands of soft tissue Strength Properties Soft Mars easily Low weight Low in density Does not wear well Compression strength (parallel to grain) = low Bending strength (MOR) = low The bending strength of the species in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content) is considered low - much lower than Teak, for example. Its strength in compression, or maximum crushing strength, is low - lower than that of Mahogany or Teak Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 4876 psi Density 15 lbs/ft3 Hardness 245 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 2979 psi Stiffness 515 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.21 Weight 33 15 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 8 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 342 kg/cm2 Density 240 kg/m3 Hardness 111 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 209 kg/cm2 Stiffness 36 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.21 Weight 528 240 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Simpson, W.T. and J.A. Sagoe. 1991. Relative Drying Times of 650 Tropical Woods : Estimation by Green Moisture Content, Specific Gravity, and Green Weight Density. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-71, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Williams, L. 1936. Woods of Northeastern Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series, Volume XV, Publication 377, Chicago.