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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 Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Scientific Name Palaquium philippense Trade Name Nyatoh Family Name Sapotaceae Common Names Belian, Bitis, Blam, Kerit, Mayang, Nyatoh Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Common Uses Beams, Bedroom suites, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Core Stock, Decks, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites Environmental Profile Status within its natural growth range has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Nyatoh occurs extensively from Southeast Asia to the Philippines. It grows from Sumatra, throughout the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. Heartwood Color Red Brown Heartwood color varies from pale pink to reddish brown or purple brown, sometimes with darker streaks Sapwood Color White Yellow Yellowish Straw Not clearly differentiated from the heartwood Width is usually 1.5 to 3 inches (3.8 to 7.6 cm) Grain Even The grain is straight to shallowly interlocked. The timber is reported to resemble Makore, (Tieghemella heckelii) in appearance, and has a moire or watered silk figure Texture Coarse Medium Medium coarse to coarse Even textured Natural Durability Moderately durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to marine borers Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Heartwood has moderate natural resistance to decay The wood could last between 10 and 15 years in contact without the ground and is vulnerable to termite attack Odor No specific taste Freshly milled wood has a slight unpleasant odor which is described as sour Silica Content High Some Palaquium timbers are siliceous Toxicity Sawdust can cause throat irritation in some individuals Sawdust can cause skin irritation in some individuals Sawdust can cause nose irritation in some individuals Kiln Schedules UK=E US=T6D2/T3D1 Fr=5 Drying Defects Distortion Splitting May end-split and warp during drying. Ease of Drying Slowly Fairly easy Dries slowly Radial - 1.3 to 3.0% Shrinkage from Green to 12% MC Tangential - 2.3 to 4.0% Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm The trees attain a height of 100 feet (30 m) or more, with trunk diameter of up to 36 inches (90 cm). Boles are sometimes fluted Comments Palaquium and Payena are two separate but closely related genera, which are very similar in characteristics. They produce wood that are usually grouped in the Nyatoh or Bitis class. Nyatoh is a commercial grouping of species whose air-dry weights fall mostly between 38 and 45 lb/cu.ft or (610 and 720 kg/cu.m), but may be up to to 55 lb/cu.ft (880 kg/cu.m). They are often mixed and marketed with other light to medium-weight, red-colored timbers. Timbers in the Bitis class are described as heavier, and have weights greater than 55 lb/cu.ft (880 kg/cu.m). They are referred to as Nyatoh batu in Sabah (Malaysia) Blunting Effect High to severe Cutting edges may blunt severely, depending upon the amount of silica in the wood Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Sawing properties are reported to vary with species. Some Palaquium timbers contain silica, which makes them very abrasive and very difficult to saw with ordinary saws. There may also be some gum build-up on cutters Movement in Service Medium movement in use. Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Some Palaquium species are siliceous and gummy. They are rather difficult to work in planing, moulding, boring, and other woodworking operations since they tend to dull and gum-up cutting tools rapidly. Non-siliceous species are relatively easy to work, and finish to yield a smooth surface Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is extremely resistant Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Response to hand tools is dependent upon amount of silica and gum in the wood. Non-siliceous and non-gummy wood tend to work easier with hand tools Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Non-Siliceous Palaquium timbers are reported to polish well Strength Properties Maximum crushing strength, or compression parallel to grain in the air-dry condition, is in the very high range. It is stronger than Hard maple, White oak, or Teak. The wood is high in density Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7652 11720. psi Crushing Strength 537 833. psi Density 38 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 3540 5673. psi Shearing Strength 892 psi Static Bending 4189 6531. psi Stiffness 1159 1370. 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 3305 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.41 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 538 824. kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 37 58. kg/cm2 Density 608 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 248 398. kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 62 kg/cm2 Static Bending 294 459. kg/cm2 Stiffness 81 96. 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 232. cm-kg/cm3 References Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Desch, H. E. 1954. Manual of Malayan Timbers - Volume II. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore. EcoTimber International, San Francisco, California. Personal Communication, 1993. 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. HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 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., The Mechanical and Related Properties of Philippine Woods, The Philippine Lumber Journal, 12(5):A-H Troup, R.S. 1909. Indian Woods and Their Uses. The Indian Forest Memoirs, Economic Products Series, Volume 1, No. 1. Superintendent, Government Printing, Calcutta, India. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.