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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Silica Content
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
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Common Names
African ebony, Cameroon ebony, Gaboon ebony, Kanran, Kayu malam, Kribi ebony, Kukuo, Mgriti, Msuini, Nigerian ebony, Nyareti, Omenowa, Trayung
Regions of Distribution
Africa, Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Malaysia
Common Uses
Billiard-cue butts, Brush backs & handles, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Furniture, Musical instruments, Musical instruments: piano, Musical instruments: strings, Sporting Goods, Tool handles, Turnery
Environmental Profile
| Extinct |
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| Abundant/Secure |
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| Vulnerable |
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| Endangered |
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Heartwood Color
| Brown |
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| Pink |
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| Yellow |
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| Black |
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| Red |
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| Highly variable |
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| Orange |
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| Black |
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| Dark brown |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| White to cream |
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| Greenish to greyish |
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Sapwood Color
| Tan |
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| Green/Grey |
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| Same as heartwood |
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| Pinkish |
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| Paler than heartwood |
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Grain
| Even |
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| Closed |
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| Interlocked |
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| Straight |
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| Wavy |
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| Straight |
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| Interlocked |
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| Wavy |
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Texture
Luster
Natural Durability
| Durable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Non-resistant to powder post beetles |
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| Non-resistant to marine borers |
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| Non-resistant to termites |
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| Very durable |
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| Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack |
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Odor
Silica Content
Toxicity
| Some toxic effects |
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| Dermatitic effects |
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Kiln Schedules
| UK=E US=T6D2/T3D1 Fr=5 |
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| Dry at a slow speed |
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| Dry at a moderate speed |
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| UK=H US=T10D4S/T8D3S Fr=7 |
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Drying Defects
| Resin Exudation |
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| Checking |
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| Collapse |
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| Distortion |
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| Slight surface checking |
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| Slight twist/warp |
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| Slight end splitting |
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| Moderate end spitting |
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Ease of Drying
| Medium to High Shrinkage |
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| Moderately Difficult to Difficult |
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| Little degrade |
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| Easy |
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Tree Size
| Tree height is 30-40 m |
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| Tree height is 40-50 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
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| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm |
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Blunting Effect
| High to severe |
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| Moderate |
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| Blunting effect on machining is severe |
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| Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe |
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| Blunting effect on machining is moderate |
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Boring
| Fair to good results |
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| Fairly easy to very easy |
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Carving
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw |
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Gluing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Easy to glue |
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Mortising
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Moulding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Movement in Service
| Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement |
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| Small |
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Nailing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Possible if prebored |
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| Difficult to nail |
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Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Planes to a poor finish |
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| Difficult to plane |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant sapwood |
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| Resistant heartwood |
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| Heartwood is extremely resistant |
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| Sapwood is moderately resistant |
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Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Screwing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Turning
| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Good results |
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| Easy to turn |
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Steam Bending
| Exudation |
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| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Good |
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Painting
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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Polishing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Good results |
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| Satisfactory results |
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Staining
| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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Varnishing
| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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Strength Properties
| Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft |
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| Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft |
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| Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = large |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = large |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high |
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| Max. crushing strength = very high |
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| Hardness (side grain) = very hard |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = very high |
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| Max. crushing strength = high |
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| Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu.ft |
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| Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = high |
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Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
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| Bending Strength | 18463 | 26499 | psi |
| Density | | 52 | lbs/ft3 |
| Hardness | | 2940 | lbs |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 8990 | 12374 | psi |
| Stiffness | 2167 | 2494 | 1000 psi |
| Weight | 51 | 43 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 6 | | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 10 | | % |
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| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
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| Bending Strength | 1298 | 1863 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | | 833 | kg/m3 |
| Hardness | | 1333 | kg |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 632 | 869 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 152 | 175 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Weight | 817 | 689 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 6 | | % |
References
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
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO
Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1955,Kiln-Drying Schedules,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Department of,Science and Industrial Research, Building Research Establishment Leaflet,No.42
Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed.
Jay, B.A.,1968,Timbers of West Africa,TRADA, Red Booklet Series
Malaysian Timber Industry Board,1986,100 Malaysian Timbers,The Malaysian Timber Industry Board
Normand, D., Paquis, J.,1976,Manuel D'Identification des Bois Commerciaux. Tome 2. Afrique,Guineo-Congolaise,CTFT
Normand, D.,1960,Les Ebenes dans le Monde,Bois et Forets des Tropiques,No.72,pp15-22
Rendle, B.J.,1969,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Ernest Benn Ltd. London
Smith, J.,1948,Ebony in the Mamfe Division,Farm and Forest Nigerian Forester,9(1,pp28-32
Timber Development Association Ltd.,1955,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Timber Development Association Ltd.
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