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MELUNAK (Pentace triptera)
Trade Name
Melunak
Scientific Name
Pentace triptera Masters
Family
TILIACEAE
Common Names
Pinang baik; Kebal ayam; Janda baik; Balong ayam; Luatnok (Thailand); Melunak (Malaysia); Sisiet (Cambodia); Daeng-samaet (Thailand); Kashit (Myanmar); Tassit (Cambodia); Thitka (Myanmar); Pinang (Indonesia); Takalis (Sabah)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is medium-sized to large tree up to 45 m tall. The bole is up to 110 cm in diameter, with buttresses up to 2.5 m high.
Natural Habitat
Pentace triptera occurs scattered on well drained ground in evergreen forests, also in seashore swampy areas, up to 400 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
It is often found in the lowland forests of Sarawak, Sabah and Malaysia.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Vessel-ray pits reticulate and/or foraminate. Simple perforation plates. Intervessel pits small, 7 micras or less. Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma storied. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays storied. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits. Fibers storied.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
The odor is unpleasant when off the saw.
Color
The sapwood varies from straw-colored to pale reddish brown. The heartwood darkens on exposure to golden or red brown, somewhat like mahogany.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
It is usually shallowly to deeply interlocked.
Texture
The texture is medium, tyloses are reported.
Luster
This wood is reportedly low in luster.
Natural Durability
The natural durability is from durable to moderate and susceptible to the fungi and insect attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
4
Resistance To Impregnation
It is reported to be untreatable either with oil or water based preservatives.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.49
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.53
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
7.6
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.2
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Careful seasoning is recommended.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
UK-E; US-T6-D2
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.8
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
866
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
122586
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
448
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
51
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
112
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
417
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
532
Workability
Sawing
Cutting resistance is generally low.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
After steaming it is reported to peel well.
Sliced Veneer
After steaming it is reported to peel well.
Machining
Sloping grain may cause tearing, it tends to splinter rather easily.
Planing
Planing operations are good to fair, interlocked grain may cause tearing in radial faces.
Turning
30
Boring
Boring of this species is reported to be easy.
Nailing
This species is reported to have a good nailing behavior.
Gluing
The timber is reported to glue well.
Finishing
Filling is necessary.
Response To Hand Tools
It has a good response to hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, flooring, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, SPORTS, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat oars, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, moldings, paper
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Decorative veneer
- 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Sports
- 38 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Oars
- 60 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume II; Curuá-Una Experimental Forest Station
Other & Musical Instruments
- 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Molding
- 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
Paper
- 82 - Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign woods (Part 2) Central and South America.
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