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Blunting Effect
Boring
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Silica Content
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning

Scientific Name
Apeiba aspera

Trade Name
Duru

Family Name
Tiliaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Arastioelan, Borredaballi, Burillo, Corcho, Cortezo, Cortica, Duru, Gargauba, Maqui-sapa, Maquisapa, Peine de mico, Peine de mono

Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname

Common Uses
Insulating boards, Raft floats, Rafts

Environmental Profile
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Tropical America, predominantly in northern South America (Brazil). Believed to be in Peru as well, often found in dry medium loamy soils.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Yellow
Red
Yellow - light
Pale brown
Light brown


Sapwood Color
Red
Brown
Yellow
Indistinct from heartwood


Grain
Even
Straight

Generally straight, but not always


Texture
Coarse
Medium
Medium to coarse
Bands of soft cottony material are occasionally present


Luster
High
Rather lustrous


Natural Durability
Perishable
Moderately durable
Non-durable
Vulnerable to attack by the blue-stain or sap-stain fungi, especially in green condition
Very little resistance to decay
Moderately durable


Odor
No specific smell or taste


Silica Content
Siliceous
Silica leverls of 5% is considered to be the mininum to affect machining properties
Contains about 3% (ovendry weight) silica


Ease of Drying
Rapidly
Reconditioning Treatement
Seasons rapidly and readily


Tree Size
Sapwood width is 5-10 cm
Tree height is 20-30 m
Tree height is 30-40 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm


Product Sources
The ITTO reports that timber is produced and exported only occasionally from this species.

Blunting Effect
Little
Slight blunting effect on cutters


Boring
Poor to very poor results
Fairly difficult to very difficult
Difficult

The wood is fairly difficult to bore because of irregular bands of soft tissue

Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Low resistance to cutting


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Fair gluing properties


Mortising
Poor to Very Poor Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Difficult to mortise


Moulding
Poor to Very Poor Results
Shaping or moulding is difficult


Planing
Poor to Very Poor Results
Smooth surfaces are difficult to achieve due to bands of soft tissue in the wood


Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable sapwood
Permeable heartwood
Very easy to impregnate with preservatives


Response to Hand Tools
Responds Readily
Responds well to hand tools
Bands of soft tissue may pose some problems


Routing & Recessing
Poor to Very Poor Results
Difficult to recess or rout


Sanding
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fairly difficult to sand


Turning
Poor to Very Poor Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Difficult to turn due to presence of bands of soft tissue


Strength Properties
Soft
Mars easily
Low weight
Low in density
Does not wear well
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = low
Bending strength (MOR) = low

The bending strength of the species in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content) is considered low - much lower than Teak, for example. Its strength in compression, or maximum crushing strength, is low - lower than that of Mahogany or Teak

Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength4876psi
Density15lbs/ft3
Hardness245lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength2979psi
Stiffness5151000 psi
Specific Gravity0.21
Weight3315lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage6%
Volumetric Shrinkage8%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength342kg/cm2
Density240kg/m3
Hardness111kg
Maximum Crushing Strength209kg/cm2
Stiffness361000 kg/cm2
Specific Gravity0.21
Weight528240kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage6%

References
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

Simpson, W.T. and J.A. Sagoe. 1991. Relative Drying Times of 650 Tropical Woods : Estimation by Green Moisture Content, Specific Gravity, and Green Weight Density. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-71, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Williams, L. 1936. Woods of Northeastern Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series, Volume XV, Publication 377, Chicago.