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MUNINGA (Pterocarpus angolensis)
Trade Name
Muninga
Scientific Name
Pterocarpus angolensis DC.
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Kiaat (South Africa); Mulombwa (Zaire); Mninga (Tanzania); Mukwa (Zambia); Umbila (Mozambique); Mbila (Mozambique); Girassonde (Angola); Umvangazi; Umvagaz; Transvaal kajatenhout; Thordo; Thondu; Thondo; Sealing wax tree; Rhodesian walnut; Mutete; Munhaneca; Mulombwa; Mulambi; Moroto; Mninga; Mlombwa; Maninga; Kiaat; Kejaat; Kajatenhout; Kajaat; Imbilo; Brown African padauk; Bloodwood; Ambila; Kajat (South Africa); Kiatt (South Africa); Mtumbati (Tanzania); Mukwa (Zimbabwe); Muninga
Scientific Name Synonyms
Pterocarpus dekindtianus Harms; Pterocarpus bussei Harms
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 13 to 20 m. The bole is usually straight, from 3 to 8 m in length. The trunk diameter attains 50 to 80 cm.
Natural Habitat
Pterocarpus angolensis is common in savanna woodland.
Natural Distribution
Widely distributed over south-central Africa.
Non Timber Uses
Contains some resins or extracts which could pose problems when machining or finishing.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood semi-ring porous and/or ring porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits simila Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in short chains in chambered axial parenchy Rays 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.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is pale grey or yellow, it has a thickness of 2.5 to 5 cm. The heartwood is from brown to purple-brown. streaks of darker or redder color sometimes present, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is variable : mottled or striped.
Grain
Variations of slope of grain are frequent, and could induce distortion during drying.
Texture
The wood is mostly coarse in texture.
Luster
The surface of the wood is naturally low in luster.
Natural Durability
Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Internal Growth Stresses
Residual growth stresses are absent.
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)
0.56
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.62
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is very slow and difficult to perform; defects are frequent. Drying Defects: Risks of checks. Kiln Schedules: Schedule proposed as a reference by comparison with well known species taking into account to the general technological behavior of this species.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-7
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
882
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
117695
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
505
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
126
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing.
Blunting Effect
Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.
Machining
It needs powerful tools for processing. Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.
Planing
Easy; no particular problems.
Moulding
Easy; no particular problems.
Turning
30
Boring
Easy; no particular problems.
Mortising
Easy; no particular problems.
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of the extracts content.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Needs pre-coating.
Response To Hand Tools
Working with hand tools is difficult.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, cutlery, lasts, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, boat hulls, boat deck, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
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, Luxury
- 22 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section IV-Asian and Oceanian Woods
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
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
Ornaments
- 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
- 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Lasts
- 34 - Embassy of Indonesia in Japan
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
Boats
- 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
Boat Hulls
- 57 - Estadísticas de Aprovechamiento, Exportación y comercialización Nacional de Productos Forestales
Boat Decking
- 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Port Storage
- 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
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