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KAPOKIER (Bombax costatum)

Trade Name

Kapokier

Scientific Name

Bombax costatum Vuill.

Family

BOMBACACEAE

Common Names

Kapokier (Senegal); Kapokier (Côte d`Ivoire); Bumbum (Burkina Faso); West African Bombax (United Kingdom); Ougoumalanga (Gabon); Esodoum (Cameroon); Kapokier

Scientific Name Synonyms

Bombax vuilleti Pellegr.; Bombax houardii Pellegr. & Vuillet

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 26 to 40 m, with diameters from 130 up to 200 cm. The boles are straight and cylindrical, sometimes buttressed.

Natural Habitat

Bombax costatum is found in savanna and secondary forests as well as dense rain forests.

Natural Distribution

West Africa and extending eastward into Tanzania.

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Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits sim Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Occasionally prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

  • Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
  • Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The heartwood is whitish to pinkish grey, it is not demarcated. The silver figure is medium to large.

COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)

7

Grain

Straight; grain has no particular influence on drying, machining and finishing qualities.

Texture

This species is usually reported to have a coarse texture.

Luster

Luster is generally moderate to high.

Natural Durability

Not durable; important risks of decay attacks at any processing step, from logs up to final products. It must receive preservative treatment. Sensible to termites attack. Heartwood is sensible to Lyctus attacks.

Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)

5

Internal Growth Stresses

For this species no growth stresses are reported.

Silica Content

Silica Content: This timber is reported to have a negligible silica content. Silica contents over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0.02

Resistance To Impregnation

Easy to treat with a full penetration of the preservative products using vacuum-pressure method.

Wood Physical Properties

Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)

0.39

Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)

0.41

Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

5.4

Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

3.1

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is rather slow and sometimes difficult to perform. Drying Defects: Risks of casehardening and checks Kiln Schedules: The kiln schedule has been tested.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-2

Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)

1.8

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)

466

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

61794

Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

277

Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

28

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

41

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

207

Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)

299

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for peeling without treatment.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for peeling without treatment.

Blunting Effect

Slight blunting effect; ordinary tools can be used for sawing and machining.

Machining

Machining of this species is reportedly easy.

Planing

Easy; no particular problems.

Moulding

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

Boring

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

Mortising

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

Nailing

Easy to perform but low nails holding.

Gluing

Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.

Sanding

Particular care is needed to avoid woolly aspect of the surface.

Polishing

Needs pre-coating.

Response To Hand Tools

No particular problems.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, cores, PACKING, light packing, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, door core, moldings, scale model

Furniture Cabinets
  • 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Common
  • 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Panels, Veneers
  • 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Cores
  • 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Light Packing
  • 46 - ECUADOR, Inventario y Aprovechamiento de los Bosques del Sur Ecuatoriano
Door Cores
  • 76 - Descripción General y Anatómica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino.
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
Scale Models
  • 83 - Algunas caracteristicas fisicomecanicas de la madera de tres especies de la cordillera NeoVolcanica

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