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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 Carving 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 Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resin Content Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Protium sagotianum Trade Name Copal Family Name Burseraceae Common Names Anime, Balsamo, Bois encens, Breu branco, Breu preto, Carano, Copal, Fontole, Kurokai, Latilla, Pom, Sucuriuba, Tacamahaco, Tingimoni Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela Common Uses Beams, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Core Stock, Decks, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, 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, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Office furniture, Particleboard, Plain veneer, Plywood, Veneer Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The species occurs throughout tropical America, and is most abundant in the Amazon basin. It is frequent in the marsh forests of Guyana. Heartwood Color Brown Green/grey Reddish brown Dark streaks irregularly spaced Brown Sapwood Color Pale buff/pinkish Not always clearly defined Grain Even Figure Straight to very irregular and interlocked Texture Fine Very fine/fairly coarse Luster High Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Moderately resistant to attack by marine borers Heartwood has low resistance to attack by fungi and other wood destroying insects Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content May contain silica Resin Content Generally resinous Kiln Schedules T3 - C2 (4/4) US T3 - C1 (8/4) US Drying Defects Moderately difficult to air-dry Ease of Drying Air dries moderately easy Tree Size Tree height is 0-10 m Bark width is 5-10 mm Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources Some veneer products from this species are available from sustainably managed The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced at a low rate, and is occasionally exported. Comments Wounds in bark yield resin for 'elemi' incense Blunting Effect Timber may be abrasive due to silica Boring Some blunting effect Best if bored in dry condition Carving Seasoned wood is generally easier to work Cutting Resistance Debarking is recommended before saw to prevent resin build up on tools Mortising Mortising in dry condition is best Moulding Moulding qualities improve with seasoning Blunting effect is rapid in moulding siliceous wood Planing Silicieous material may dull cutters rapidly Best if planed with seasoned wood Resistance to Impregnation Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Siliceous wood dulls cutting eges rapidly Generally good response Routing & Recessing Siliceous wood may blunt cutting edges Best if material is seasoned Sanding Best with seasoned wood Turning Easier with seasoned wood Cutting edges may blunt if silica is present Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Max. crushing strength = high Heavy Hardness (side grain) = medium Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9678 13622 psi Density 38 lbs/ft3 Hardness 980 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 4626 7738 psi Stiffness 1470 1691 1000 psi Toughness 164 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.51 Weight 37 30. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 680 957 kg/cm2 Density 608 kg/m3 Hardness 444 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 325 544 kg/cm2 Stiffness 103 118 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 188 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.51 Weight 592 480. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.