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TIAMA (Entandrophragma excelsum)

Trade Name

Tiama

Scientific Name

Entandrophragma excelsum Sprague

Family

MELIACEAE

Common Names

Gedur-nohor (Nigeria); Edinam (Ghana); Tiama (Côte d`Ivoire); Umuyoke (Burkina Faso); Gedur-nohor (United Kingdom); Tiama-mahagoni (Germany); Acuminata (Germany); M'vovo (Zaire); Lifaki (Zaire); Abeubegne (Gabon); Dongomanguila (Equatorial Guinea); Kiluka (Congo); Mukusu (Uganda); Livuite (Angola); Acuminata (Angola); Tiama

Scientific Name Synonyms

Entandrophragma speciosum Harms in Mildbr.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree may reach a height of 45 m, with a trunk diameter up to 130 cm. The bole is up to 26 m in length. The buttresses are generally strongly developed and extending up to 5 m.

Natural Habitat

Entandrophragma excelsum is chiefly found in montane forests.

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Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 150 to 200 micras (medium). Brown-colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation pl Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma confluent unilateral paratracheal. Occasionally prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Septate fibers present. 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 sapwood is whitish or pinkish, it has a thickness of 10 cm. The heartwood is red-brown, darkening slightly on exposure, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine.

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

4

Grain

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

Texture

The wood is reported to be frequently medium textured.

Luster

It is reported to be low in luster.

Natural Durability

Slightly durable to decay. This species needs preservative treatment for uses with risks of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Sensible to termites attack. The heartwood is resistant

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

6

Internal Growth Stresses

Residual growth stresses are absent.

Resistance To Impregnation

Nearly impossible to treat with a too much low penetration of the preservative substances.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.46

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

0.50

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

9.5

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

4.3

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: The timber seasons moderately slowly with slight degrade. Boards of 15 mm thick take about 3.5 months to air dry. Kiln Schedules: Schedule proposed for Keledang.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-9

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

2.2

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

701

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

104159

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

428

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

50

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

41

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

301

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

403

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.

Blunting Effect

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

Machining

Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.

Planing

Easy; no particular problems.

Moulding

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

Turning

30

Boring

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

Mortising

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

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, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat deck, port storage

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
Faces
  • 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
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
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
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

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