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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 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 Schedules Luster Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Afzelia pachyloba Trade Name Afzelia Family Name Leguminosae Common Names Afzelia, Aligna, Apa, Azza, Beyo, Bolengo, Doussie, Kpendei, Lingue, M'banga, Meli, Mkola, Mussacosa, N'kokongo, Papao, Pauconta, Uvala, White afzelia Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zaire Common Uses Boat building, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Canoes, Chairs, Chemical containers, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Millwork, Mine timbers, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Very little threat to the survival of the species Generally secure within its natural habitat Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview This species occurs in Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Nigeria and Zaire. It is a rainforest species, but may be present in the savannah and coastal forests of East Africa. Heartwood Color Brown Red Reddish brown Distinct in color from sapwood Sapwood Color White Yellow Whitish Pale yellow Pale straw Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Even Figure Irregular Straight Interlocked Straight to interlocked Irregular Texture Coarse Medium Moderately coarse Luster Medium Medium Natural Durability Very durable Very high natural resistance Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Sawdust can cause irritation in some individuals Kiln Schedules Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom 6 - D2 (4/4); T3 - D1 (8/4) US Drying Defects Distortion Checking Extension of Existing Shakes Ring Shakes Slight checking and cracking Shakes may become extended Distortion (twist/warp) is likely Ease of Drying Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Radial and tangential shrinkage from 1-2% Dries slowly with little degrade Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources Exported on a regular basis. Comments The wood contains a yellow dye-stuff (afzelin) which can stain textile materials under moist conditions Blunting Effect Moderate Medium effect from irregular grain Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Difficult to saw Cutting edges are dulled rapidly Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Carefully Controlled Conditions Use special attention for best results Difficult to glue Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to mould (due to rapid dulling of cutters) Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Small movement in use Dimensionally stable Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Holds nails well Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult May produce some torn grain Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is moderately treatable Heartwood is extremely resistant Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Difficult to machine Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results The material works to a smooth finish Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer Not suited for plywood manufacture Difficult to glue Dense wood Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory Polishing Fair to Good Results Good results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Yellow or white deposits in pores can make staining especially difficult Varnishing Surface Preparation Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory Pre-treatment needed or recommended Strength Properties Heavy Density = high Crushing strength = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 16170 psi Density 50 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1774 lbs Impact Strength 30 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 10809 psi Shearing Strength 2078 psi Stiffness 1877 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 11 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.62 Weight 66 49 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1136 kg/cm2 Density 801 kg/m3 Hardness 804 kg Impact Strength 76 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 759 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 146 kg/cm2 Stiffness 131 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.77 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.62 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 Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. 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. Lavers, G. M. 1966. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50. Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Lincoln, W. A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.