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Products - African Mahogany
Khaya ivorensis and K. anthotheca
Family: Meliaceae
African Mahogany
Other Common Names: Munyama (Uganda), Acajou d'Afrique (Ivory Coast), Dubini, Dukuma fufu (Ghana), Ogwango (Nigeria)
Distribution: Sierra Leone,Liberia and Nigeria to Gabon. K. anthotheca then extends eastward to Uganda and inhabits lower rainfall regions than K. ivorensis. |
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The Tree: Reaches heights of 180 to 200 ft; boles are straight, cylindrical, and clear to 90 ft; trunk diameters are 3 to 6 ft, buttressed.
General Characteristics: Heartwood light pinkish brown darkening upon exposure to reddish brown; sapwood whitish or yellowish, not always sharply demarcated. Texture medium to coarse; grain straight to interlocked, producing a stripe figure; lustrous. Brittleheart present in some logs. Dust from K. anthotheca may be a skin irritant.
Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.44; air-dry density 32 pcf.
Mechanical Properties: (2-cm standard)
Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength
(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)
Green (9) 7,700 1,080 3,680
12% 12,000 1,310 6,430
Green (9) 7,800 1,080 3,890
12% 11,300 1,300 6,730
12% (44) 10,000 NA 6,850
Janka side hardness: 640 to 735 lb for green material and 830 to 860 lb for dry. Amsler toughness 178 in.-lb for dry material (2-cm specimen).
Drying and Shrinkage: Dries rapidly with little degrade. If tension wood is present, serious distortion may occur during drying. Kiln schedule T6-D4 is suggested for 4/4 stock and T3-03 for 8/4. Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial 3.2%; tangential 5.6%. Movement in service is rated as small.
Working Properties: Rather variable, tends to woolliness and torn grain, sharp thin edge cutters are suggested, a cutting angle of 20 degrees in planing is recommended. Nailing and gluing properties are good, an excellent finish is readily obtainable. Easy to slice and peel.
Durability: Heartwood is rated as moderately durable, prone to buprestid and termite attack. Sapwood liable to powder-post beetle attack.
Preservation: Heartwood is extremely resistant to preservative treatments; sapwood moderately resistant.
Uses: Furniture and cabinetwood, boatbuilding, joinery, veneer and plywood, paneling, shop fixtures.
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