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Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size

Scientific Name
Calophyllum inophyllum

Trade Name
Beach calophyllum

Family Name
Guttiferae

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Alexandrian laurel, Aptakas, Beach calophyllum, Beauty leaf, Bintangor, Biotu, Bitanghol, Bitaog, Biyuch, Biyuuch, Btaches, Damanu, Fteh, Ka thang han, Ka thang lan, Legitu, Penaga, Rakich, Tamanou, Tang hon, Wangu

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Vietnam

Common Uses
Balusters, Bedroom suites, Boat building, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Excelsior, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Mine timbers, Musical instruments , Precision instruments, Pulpwood, Shipbuilding, Vehicle parts

Environmental Profile
Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions.
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center

Classified as vulnerable in the Philippines

Distribution Overview
The ball nut is a native tree of coastal areas of northern Australia. It prefers the relatively sheltered, well-drained sites on sandy beaches and dune systems along the coastline of central and northern Queensland. Although it will persist on the drier parts of the coastline, it grows more vigorously and exhibits greater tolerance to exposure on the higher rainfall areas of the tropical coast. Native to coasts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, introduced to some places such as Hawaii. Common in Singapore.

Heartwood Color
Yellow
Orange
Brown
Red
Reddish brown
Color changes with age

The color of the heartwood is described as reddish-brown, with darker streaks on longitudinal surfaces. The color is reported to turn dull gray with age. Various woods of Calophyllum are very difficult to differentiate

Sapwood Color
White
Yellow
Red
Pinkish-brown
Pale straw
Clearly differentiated from the heartwood


Grain
Interlocked

Moderately to severely interlocked


Texture
Fine
Medium


Luster
Medium
Low
Lustrous


Natural Durability
Durable
Perishable
Moderately durable
Non-durable
Susceptible to attack by marine borers and termites

Heartwood seldomly attacked by borers, but is is susceptible to attack by termites and marine borers such as shipworms (Teredo spp.) and gribble (Limnoria spp.)

Odor
No specific smell or taste


Kiln Schedules
T2 - D4 (4/4); T2 - D3 (8/4) US
Schedule A (4/4) United Kingdom.


Drying Defects
Checking
Slight surface checking
Moderate twist/warp
Moderate end spitting


Ease of Drying
Special attention required
Fair

Weight down stacks to minimize warping

Tree Size
Bark width is 10-15 mm
Tree height is 20-30 m
Tree height is 10-20 m
Bark width is 15-20 mm


Bole is often crooked and leans at an angle of less than 45 degrees to the ground.

Comments
Deposits in Wood - Wood vessels contain a red deposit.

Ornamental species

The species is highly favored as an ornamental tree. It is also widely cultivated for its oil in many tropical regions.

Cutting Resistance
Material with interlocked grain can be difficult.

Sawn surfaces can be wooly

Mortising
Interlocked grain effects mortising
Difficult to mortise


Moulding
Requires very sharp cutting edges

Very sharp edges required to keep grain from tearing

Movement in Service
Excellent Stability - Small Movement
Medium

Moderate dimensional stability can be attained after seasoning. Medium movement can occur after manufacturing.

Planing
Special attention required
Poor planing characteristics

Interlocked grain makes planing difficult. Recommended that sharp cutting edge and reduced cutting angle are used

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Sapwood is easily treatable
Heartwood is moderately resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Easy to Work
Wood usually has interlocked grain, making it more difficult to work with hand tools
Special attention required

For best results cutting edges should be kept sharp. Interlocked grain commonly causes tearing

Polishing
Requires a filler
High polish


Strength Properties
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high

Bending strength in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content) is high - comparable to Teak. Maximum crushing strength, or compression strength parallel to grain, is high. Some familiar species with high crushing strength parallel to grain include Hard maple, Teak, and White oak. It is fairly hard, resisting wear, denting, and marring fairly well. It is heavy. The density is high

Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength906714205psi
Crushing Strength11621714psi
Density39lbs/ft3
Hardness1426lbs
Impact Strength31inches
Maximum Crushing Strength43127223psi
Shearing Strength2132psi
Static Bending64269269psi
Stiffness136516681000 psi
Toughness523inch-lbs
Specific Gravity0.510.55
Weight4538lbs/ft3
Volumetric Shrinkage10%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength637998kg/cm2
Crushing Strength81120kg/cm2
Density624kg/m3
Hardness646kg
Impact Strength78cm
Maximum Crushing Strength303507kg/cm2
Shearing Strength149kg/cm2
Static Bending451651kg/cm2
Stiffness951171000 kg/cm2
Toughness602cm-kg
Specific Gravity0.510.55
Weight721608kg/m3

References
Chowdhury, K.A. and S.S. Ghosh. 1958. Indian Woods - Their Identification, Properties and Uses, Volume I - Dilleniaceae to Elaeocarpaceae. Published by the Manager of Publications, Delhi, India.

Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers. The Malayan Forester, 28(30):315-318.

Eddowes, P.J. 1977. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Forest Products Research Center, Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea.

Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1

Lauricio, F. M., Bellosillo, S. B. 1966. The Mechanical and Related Properties of Philippine Woods, The Lumberman, 12(5):A-H.

Limaye, V.D. 1954. Grouping of Indian Timbers and their Properties, Uses and Suitability. Indian Forest Records, New Series. Timber Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 2, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India.

Limaye, V.D. and B.R. Sen. 1956. Weights and Specific Gravities of Indian Woods. Indian Forest Records (New Series). Timber Mechanics. Volume 1 No. 4. Manager of Publications (Publisher, Delhi.

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.