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LIMBA/FRAKé (Terminalia superba)

Trade Name

Limba/Fraké

Scientific Name

Terminalia superba Engl. et Diels

Family

COMBRETACEAE

Common Names

Kojagei (Sierra Leone); Fraké (Côte d`Ivoire); Frake (Benin); Noyer du Mayombe (for woods with black heart) (France); Limba (France); Fraké (France); Korina (United States of America); Limba (Congo); N'ganga (Central African Republic); Yellow pine; White limba; Weiss; Unwonrom; Tra; Shingle wood; Pe; Owebala; Ojiloko; Offram; Noyer limbo; Noyer du Mayombe; Noyer; N`limba; N`kom; N`dimba; Mukonja; Moukonia; Limba noir; Limba clair; Light limba; Landi; Kumkunbe; Kosina; Korina; Kongo; Kone; Kom; Kojag?i; Kojaagei; Kegblale; Ka-ren; Gbararada; Frany; Frango; Frane; Framo; Frameri; Fram; Frak; Faraen; End; Eji; Egoyin; Egonni; Egoin nufua; Egean; Edo; Djombe; Dark noir; Dark limba; Congo walnut; Chene-limbo; Chene limbo; Bokone; Blie; Bese; Baya; Bale; An rin; Akam; Aghan; Afraa; Afodonko; Afia afia; Afa; Konira (United States of America); Noyer du mayobe (France); Frake (France); Limbo (France); Limba (Zaire); Limba Limba (Congo); N`ganga (Central African Republic); Akom (Equatorial Guinea); Akom (Cameroon); White afara (Nigeria); Afara (Nigeria); Ofram (Ghana); Frake (Côte d`Ivoire); Limba (Angola)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Terminalia altissima A. Chev.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree has a total height up to 35 m, with diameters up to 130 cm. The boles are straight and cylindrical. It presents 4 buttresses up to 4 or 5 m tall.

Natural Habitat

Terminalia superba occurs in small dense forests, rain forests and in savanna forests.

Natural Distribution

West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Plantations Available?

Because of its easy growth and timber qualities it has been tested for plantation in many countries. Acclimatization trials have been conducted outside of its natural habitat in Africa (Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Dem. Rep. of the Congo, Zimbabwe)

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. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar Occasionally axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. 3 to 4 cells pe Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays non-storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). 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 yellow white, or with blackish brown veins or greyish brown heart, it is not clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine (barely visible).

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

4

Grain

Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.

Texture

The texture varies from fine to medium.

Luster

This species is low in luster.

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. The heartwood is sensible to Lyctus attacks.

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

5

Internal Growth Stresses

Growth stresses are reported in this species.

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: 0.01

Resistance To Impregnation

Moderately easy to treat with a partial penetration of the preservative products.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.50

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

0.54

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

6.1

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

4.3

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is moderately easy; some particular care is needed.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-3

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

1.4

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

811

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

119731

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

475

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

58

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

57

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

363

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

467

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing and peeling.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing and peeling.

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

Easy; no particular problems.

Boring

Easy; no particular problems.

Mortising

Easy; no particular problems.

Nailing

No particular problem.

Gluing

Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.

Sanding

Easy to perform; it gives good results.

Polishing

Can be polished without surface preparation.

Steam Bending

This species can be used for steam bending.

Response To Hand Tools

No particular problems.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, PACKING, heavy packing, pallets, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, door core, coffin, moldings, cementboard

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
  • 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Joists
  • 12 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part I-Tropical American Species
Boards
  • 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
Frames
  • 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
  • 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
  • 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Fittings
  • 19 - Silica in Timbers
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
Faces
  • 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Decorative veneer
  • 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Heavy Packing
  • 47 - Arvores Brasileiras
Pallets
  • 48 - The strength properties of timbers
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Door Cores
  • 76 - Descripción General y Anatómica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino.
Coffin
  • 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
Cementboard
  • 81 - Madeiras da Amazônia: descrição do lenho de 40 espécies ocorrentes na Floresta Nacional do Tapajós

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