WOOD TYPE

Common names: IROKO, Kambala, tule, moreira, band.

Botanical classification: Chlorophora excelsa, C. regia. Fam. Moreaceae.

GENERAL

Main products: Sawn wood, plywood.

Natural attributes - structure - origins: Wood of medium weight with gold orange to brown color with lighter vessel lines on tangent sections. The material may contain large, hard deposits of calcium carbonate in cavities and the wood around them may be darker in color. The grain is interlocked and sometimes irregular and the texture rather coarse, but even. It grows in tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone to Tanzania and West Africa from Senegal to Ghana.

Natural durability in time: Very durable. The sapwood may be infected by the bug Lyctus, but is very resistant to termites in Africa.

Mechanical attributes: Wood with medium flexural and crushing strength, with very low modulus of elasticity and very low resistance to percussion.

Density: R (12-15%) = 0.64 g/cm³

Modulus of elasticity: 9.400 N/mm²

Breaking measure: 90 N/mm²

WOOD PROPERTIES AND PROCESSING OPERATIONS

Drying behavior and stability after drying: Dries almost quickly and well, without much downgrading. Has a tendency to create sticky spots. There is a small variability in size after drying.

Impregnation behavior: The sapwood is permeable and the heartwood is extremely durable.

Bending behavior: Wood with moderate flexural behavior when steaming.

Working properties - tool blunting: The material works satisfactorily with hand and machine tools. A high degree of tool blunting occurs when calcium carbonate deposits are present. A reduction of cutting angle to 15 degrees is necessary for a smooth finish in planing quarter sawn surfaces due to interlocked grain.

Nailing and screwing: Good nailing, good screwing.

Dyeing and finishing: Paints well, while after using substrate varnish, there is an excellent finish.

APPLICATIONS

Shipbuilding wood, indoor and outdoor woodwork, lab benches, furniture and wood carvings,constructions in harbors, floors, plywood, wall coverings, decorative veneer.