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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 Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Dalbergia melanoxylon Trade Name African blackwood Family Name Leguminosae Common Names African blackwood, African ebony, African grenadillo, African grenadilo, Babanus, Banbanus, Begboio, Black botany bay wood, Blackwood, Bokango, Cape damson, Chella, Chiku, Did, Driedoring, East African blackwood, Ebene, Funiti, Grenadilla, Grenadilla d'Afrique, Grenadille d'Afrique, Lurr, Motangu, Mozambique ebony, Mpingo, Mufulamamba, Mufunjo, Mugembe, Mugweze, Mugwiti, Muhati, Mukelete, Mukudziti, Mumhingwe, Mungara, Munhowe, Murgwiti, Murwiti, Opo, Pau preto, Pau-preto, Pingo, Poyi, Red, Rit, Rugbe, Samachi, Senegal ebony, Shami, Tareh, Umbambangwe, Zebra wood Regions of Distribution Africa, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Angola, Central African Republic, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe Common Uses Agricultural implements, Beams, Bearings & bushings, Boxes and crates, Brush backs & handles, Building construction, Cabin construction, Carvings, Charcoal, Chemical derivatives, Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Drum sticks, Factory construction, Flooring, Food containers, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Fuelwood, Furniture, Handles, Heavy construction, Joists, Light construction, Mathematical instruments, Medicinal use, Musical instruments , Musical instruments, Organ pipes, Piano keys, Pianos , Porch columns, Rough construction, Shafts/Handles, Sounding boards, Sporting Goods, Tables, Tool handles, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Veneer: decorative, Violin bows, Violin, Walking sticks, Woodwork , Xylophones Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Widely distributed in Africa (in dry savannah forests), from Senegal across to Sudan, Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. To the south, it ranges from Angola to Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, as far south as the Transvaal. It tolerates a wide range of sites, especially on gravelly soils. A deciduous savannah tree or shrub, it will intertwine with other trees, and has a heavily branched, many stemmed growth habit. It is found in tropical lowlands and on various sites in subhumid and semiarid areas. In Tanzania it is found in low altitude savannah or woodlands around Morogoro and Itigi, down to the coast. Often it grows in areas where productive agriculture is impossible due to shallow, rocky soils. This is an indication of the tree's hardiness but may also indicate that it can not effectively compete when conditions are better. Heartwood Color Green/grey Red Pink Purple Black Dark brown Brown Sapwood Color White Yellow White to yellow Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Straight Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Medium Coarse Fine Very fine Even textured Luster Medium Slightly lustrous Lustrous Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Perishable Non-durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to marine borers Very durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack Durable Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles The heartwood is very resistant to decay. The sapwood is susceptible to attack by powder-post beetle. The wood is reported to often contains tunnels of Cerambycid larvae. Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Dramatic effects Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed UK=B US=T2C2/T2C1 Fr=2 T2 - C2 (4/4); T2 - C1 (8/4) US (End-coat logs or billets.) Drying Defects Collapse Internal Honeycombing Possible Severe surface checking Moderate surface checking Moderate end spitting Severe end splitting End splitting Common drying defects are heart shake Ease of Drying Rapidly Requires slow and careful seasoning to prevent degrade. Dries slowly Difficult End-Coating of logs or billets is necessary to minimize degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is fluted Bole/stem form is unknown Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is misshapen Tree Size Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 40-50 m Tree height is 50-60 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Trunk diameter is 250-300 cm Product Sources The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced in limited volumes and is exported in small sized cants. The timber is exported in log form from East African ports. Log lengths are usually from 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) and are often sold by importers only in log form and by the pound. Price range is in the expensive range. Comments African blackwood is superior to Ebony for the manufacture of woodwind instruments because of its oily nature and high tolerance to fluctuations in climatic conditions. It responds almost as well as metals to tapping for screw threads. Tungsten/Carbide tipped saws are essential for conversion Blunting Effect Blunting effect on machining is severe Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe Boring May Blunt cutting edges and interfere with boring operations Difficult Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate Tends to blunt cutting edges rapidly Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory gluing properties Easy to glue Movement in Service Small Stable Stability is good Shape retention after manufacture is usually very good Medium Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Difficult to nail Pre-Boring is necessary Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Difficult to mould Planes well, to a good finish Difficult to use machine tools Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Easy to machine Difficult to machine Screwing Possible if prebored African blackwood responds to tapping for screw threads almost as well as metals. Turning Easy to turn Good results Metal-Working tools are recommended for the manufacture of woodwind instruments. Steam Bending Unsuitable Poor to Very Poor Results Very poor The material is too heavy and too dense Polishing Satisfactory results Good results Eported to finish to produce a brilliantly polished, lustrous surface Staining Finish is generally good Varnishing Good results Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 75+ lbs/cu. ft. Max. crushing strength = high Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Hardness (side grain) = very hard Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = very high Shrinkage, Volumetric = very small Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Shrinkage, Volumetric = small Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = small Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 17974 29057 psi Density 75 lbs/ft3 Hardness 2940 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 6899 10474 psi Shearing Strength 2847 psi Stiffness 2230 2457 1000 psi Specific Gravity 1.12 Weight 72 72 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % Volumetric Shrinkage 7 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1263 2042 kg/cm2 Density 1201 kg/m3 Hardness 1333 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 485 736 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 200 kg/cm2 Stiffness 156 172 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 1.12 Weight 1153 1153 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % References Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research Bolza, E.,1975,Properties and Uses of 175 Timber Species from Papua New Guinea and West,Irian,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Research Report,no.34 Brown, W.H.,1969,Properties and uses of Tropical hardwoods in the United Kingdom. Part 1,Nonstructural properties and uses.,Conference on Tropical hardwoods SC-5/TN-5, Syracuse University Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World No.1 Africa,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Bryce, J.M.,1967,Commercial Timbers of Tanzania,Tanzanian Forestry Division Util. Sec. Moshi Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Eggeling, W.J., Harris, C.M.,1939,Fifteen Uganda Timbers,Forest Trees and Timbers of the British Empire, Imperial Forestry,Institute, Oxford,Part 4 Eggeling, W.J.,1940,Indigenous Trees of Uganda,Govt. Printer Entebbe Uganda Fanshawe, D.B.,1962,Fifty Common Trees of Northern Rhodesia,Natural Resources Board and Forestry Department, Ndola Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO Focus on Trees: Dalbergia melanoxylon. Treeroots Network Social Forestry Report, Vol. 2, No. 1, Pages 6-7, June, 1993. Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1969,The Movement of Timbers,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Technical Note,No.38 Goldsmith, B., Carter, D.T.,1981,The Indigenous Timbers of Zimbabwe,Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Research Bulletin No.9 Grant, D.K.S.,1934,Some Local Timbers,Tanzania Forest Department Haughton-Sheppard, P.C.,1958,A Note on African Blackwood - Dalbergia melanoxylon,Empire Forestry Review,37(3)93,pp327-30 HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods. 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. ITTO. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 - Africa. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France. Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees. Clarendon Press, Oxford. Kline, M. 1981. Dalbergia melanoxylon - African blackwood. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 130. Kukachka, B.F.,1970,Properties of Imported Tropical Woods,Forest Research Paper FPL 125 Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. Normand, D.,1960,Les Ebenes dans le Monde,Bois et Forets des Tropiques,No.72,pp15-22 Pardy, A.A.,1955,Notes on Indigenous Trees and Shrubs of S.Rhodesia - Dalbergia melanoxylon,Ministry of Agriculture and Lands S. Rhodesia Bulletin,No.1852 Patterson, D.N.,1963,The strength of Kenya timbers, their derivation and application,Kenya Forestry Department Research Bulletin,No.23 Rendle, B.J.,1969,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Ernest Benn Ltd. London Sallenave, P.,1971,Proprietes Physiques et Mecaniques des Bois Tropicaux (Deuxieme,Supplement,C.T.F.T. Scott, M.H.,1950,Notes on the more Important African Timbers Imported into the Union with,Special Ref. to Port. E.A. Species,Journal of the South African Forestry Association,No.19,pp18-62,[South,African Forestry Journal] Tack, C.H.,1969,Uganda Timbers,Govt. Printer Uganda Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7 Tanzania - Timber Marketing Co. Ltd.,1978,Timber from Tanzania Tanzania Forest Department,1966,Dalbergia melanoxylon (African Blackwood, Mpingo,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi - Timbers of Tanganyika Tanzania Forest Division,1966,Kiln Drying Schedules for Tanzania Timbers Technical Note no.38,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi Timber Development Association,1948,Some New Timbers and Their Uses No. 34,Timber Development Association Limited, London [TRADA] Timber Information Assoc. Ltd.,1947,Notes on East African Timbers,TRADA, Timber Information, No.28 Wimbush, S.H.,1950,Catalogue of Kenya Timbers,Govt. Printer Nairobi Kenya Wood, B., Calnan, D.,1976,Toxic Woods,British Journal of Dermat 94 Suppl. 13