Search for

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. Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Luster Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resin Content Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Madhuca sp. Trade Name Bitis Family Name Sapotaceae Common Names Belian, Betis, Bitis Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines Common Uses Boat building, Bridge construction, Building construction, Construction, Heavy construction, Planks, Posts Environmental Profile The conservation status of some species represented in the genus Madhuca including M. utilis is unknown because of lack of information. M. ridleyi is secure and currently nonthreatened within its natural growth range, while M. fulva is Vulnerable, and M. mooni is Endangered Distribution Overview Madhuca species are found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia, and the Pacific Islands. Heartwood Color Brown Black Yellow Green Purple The heartwood is described as red-brown to purple- or chocolate-red-brown, with streaks of lighter color. Pores are often visible as fine, light-colored markings Sapwood Color White Green Clearly differentiated from the heartwood The sapwood is up to 2 inches (5 cm) and is yellowish-brown to grayish-brown with a purle cast Grain Even Straight Interlocked Straight to shallowly interlocked Texture Fine Even or uniform Fine to medium Even textured Luster Medium Low Natural Durability Durable Very durable The heavier timbers of Madhuca are very durable above ground and in contact with the ground. Lighter timbers are reported to have moderate resistance to decay under exposed conditions Odor No specific smell or taste Resin Content The heavy timbers of Madhuca are reported to have high resistance to abrasion Drying Defects Checking Distortion The timber is highly prone to surface check and end-split in drying. Existing shakes and splits also tend to open up Ease of Drying Rapidly Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Bitis is rather difficult to season, and is characterized by high shrinkage Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm The trees are typically of medium size, and are usually found in lowland forest. Trees of M. utilis are capable of attaining a height of 150 feet (45 m) Product Sources Timbers produced by species in the genus are often divided into two groups based on hardness and density. The lighter ones are similar to the timber sold commercially as Nyatoh which is produced principally by species of Palaquium and Payena. The heavier group is made up of the Madhuca timbers that are hard to very hard, and heavy to very heavy. They are reported to resemble Bitis (M. utilis) too closely to be separated in ordinary commercial practice, and are therefore mixed and marketed under that trade name. Most of the Bitis timber from Malaysia are produced by M. utilis. Boring Fairly easy to very easy Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Sawing is very difficult in the heavier timbers, and is usually accompanied by rapid blunting of cutting edges. Saws may also be clogged up by resin Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Nailing Difficult to nail Planing Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Machining properties are reported to vary with density, but the timbers are generally difficult to work. Planing is rather easy, and planed surfaces are often smooth Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood The heartwood of heavy Madhuca timber is rather difficult to treat with preservatives. Sapwood of some species are treatable Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Polishing Very good Madhuca timbers are reported to take a very smooth and silky finish Strength Properties The timber of M. utilis is among the strongest timbers in the world, except in impact strength and shear along the grain. It has exceptionally high bending and crushing strengths, and is very hard, and exceptionally heavy Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 17532 24363 psi Crushing Strength 1735 1774 psi Hardness 3278 lbs Impact Strength 42 67 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 10466 12838 psi Shearing Strength 2200 psi Static Bending 12054 14778 psi Stiffness 3116 3381 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 10 22 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.84 0.97 Weight 75 69 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 7 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 14 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1232 1712 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 121 124 kg/cm2 Hardness 1486 kg Impact Strength 106 170 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 735 902 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 154 kg/cm2 Static Bending 847 1039 kg/cm2 Stiffness 219 237 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.70 1.54 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.84 0.97 Weight 1201 1105 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 7 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Desch, H. E. 1954. Manual of Malayan Timbers - Volume II. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore. Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers. Malayan Forest Records, 28(30):315-318. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore.