top

Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position.

Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data.

Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning

Scientific Name
Dialium patens

Trade Name
Keranji

Family Name
Leguminosae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Kerandji, Keranji, Khleng, Kralanh, Xoay

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Common Uses
Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Construction, Domestic flooring, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Flooring, Handles, Heavy construction, Joinery, Mine timbers, Parquet flooring, Pile-driver cushions, Piling, Poles, Shafts/Handles, Sub-flooring, Tool handles, Truck bodies, Utility poles, Vehicle parts

Environmental Profile
Abundant/Secure
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Malay Peninsula, with a growth range that extends into Indonesia, Sabah and Sarawak. They are usually found on hills and flatlands.

Heartwood Color
Brown
White
Purple
Red
Turn reddish brown upon exposure


Sapwood Color
Brown
White
Darkens after exposure
Clearly differentiated from the heartwood

1.5 to 3 inches (3.8 to 7.6 cm) in width

Grain
Closed
Interlocked
Wavy
Figure
Rippled (figure)

Rippled figure
May be wavy or curly
Interlocked

Ripple marks are prominent on flat-sawn surfaces, and quartersawn surfaces often exhibit a ribbon figure

Texture
Coarse
Even or uniform
Uniform
Medium
Moderately fine


Natural Durability
Perishable
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Non-durable


The heartwood is only moderately durable in contact with the ground in the tropics, but it is durable elsewhere. The sapwood is susceptible to attack by powder-post beetle

Odor
No specific smell or taste


Kiln Schedules
T6 - D2 (4/4) US/T6 - D2 (4/4) US


Drying Defects
Distortion
Checking
Splitting


The material may split and check during drying and should be seasoned carefully

Ease of Drying
Little degrade
Radial and tangential shrinkage from 4-7%
May split while drying


Tree Size
Bole length is 20-30 m
Tree height is 30-40 m


Stems are often of poor form, and are clear to about 55 feet (16 m)

Product Sources
Species in the Dialium genus are reported to produce timber with very similar charateristics, and are mixed and marketed together under the trade name of Kerandji.

Comments
The timber has high resistance to shock

Timber has high resistance to shock

Blunting Effect
The timber is reported to blunt cutting edges rather rapidly.

Boring
Fairly easy to very easy
Fair to good results
Use very sharp cutting edges to prevent grain from tearing


Carving
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult

Specially tipped saws are recommended.

Mortising
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Movement in Service
Stability is good


Nailing
Fair to Good Results
Poor to Very Poor Results


Planing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Planed surfaces are moderately smooth

A 20 degree planing angle is recommended

Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable heartwood
Permeable sapwood
Resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Responds Readily


Routing & Recessing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Turning
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Good results
Cutting Edges Tend to Blunt


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength2099826656psi
Crushing Strength28124367.psi
Density59lbs/ft3
Impact Strength62inches
Maximum Crushing Strength1118717930.psi
Static Bending1359621198.psi
Stiffness28213335.1000 psi
Work to Maximum Load18inch-lbs/in3
Specific Gravity0.72
Weight7458lbs/ft3
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength14761874kg/cm2
Crushing Strength197307.kg/cm2
Density945kg/m3
Impact Strength157cm
Maximum Crushing Strength7861260.kg/cm2
Static Bending9551490.kg/cm2
Stiffness198234.1000 kg/cm2
Work to Maximum Load1.26cm-kg/cm3
Specific Gravity0.72

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

Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers - Volume I. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore.

Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers. Malayan Forest Records, 28(30):315-318. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore.

Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1