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ZINGANA (Microberlinia brazzavillensis)

Trade Name

Zingana

Scientific Name

Microberlinia brazzavillensis A.Chev.

Family

LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names

Zingana (Cameroon); Zebrawood (United Kingdom); Zebrano (United Kingdom); Zebrano (Germany); Zingana (Gabon)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Berlinia brazzavillensis (A. Chev.) Troupin

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 50 m. The bole is usually straight, up to 16 m in length, low buttressed. The trunk diameter attains 130 to 170 cm.

Natural Habitat

Microberlinia brazzavillensis is found in coastal forests. It is a gregarious species, sometimes reported in pure stands along riverbanks. The wild population has been or is inferred to be in decline(50% in 5 years or 2 generations or for a small populati

Natural Distribution

West Africa, mainly in Gabon and Cameroon.

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). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays and/or axial elements irregularly storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal 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 sapwood is whitish, it has a thickness of 10 cm. The heartwood is pale yellow brown, with thin and numerous dark brown veins, it is clearly demarcated.

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

5

Grain

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

Texture

The texture is typically medium to coarse.

Natural Durability

Moderately durable to decay. Without preservative treatment, this species can be used only under risk of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Moderately resistant to termites attack.

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

3

Internal Growth Stresses

Residual stresses are reported to be absent.

Resistance To Impregnation

Difficult to treat with only a low penetration of the preservative products.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.72

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

0.81

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

14.0

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

8.8

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is moderately difficult to difficult; special care is systematically needed. Drying Defects: Risks of checks, casehardening and water pockets Kiln Schedules: The kiln schedule has been tested.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-11

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

1.6

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

1109

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

204606

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

624

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

83

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

147

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

827

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

899

Workability

Sawing

It is moderately easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing.

Blunting Effect

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

Machining

Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.

Planing

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Moulding

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Turning

30

Boring

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Mortising

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Nailing

Pre-boring is necessary.

Gluing

Difficult to glue because of high density.

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, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, cutlery, lasts, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat fins, boat deck, boat oars, 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
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
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
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Fins
  • 58 - Guía de Árboles de Bolivia
Boat Decking
  • 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Boat Oars
  • 60 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume II; Curuá-Una Experimental Forest Station
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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