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Blunting Effect Boring Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Light-Induced Color Change Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects Numerical Data Odor Planing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities		Scientific Name Albizia falcataria Trade Name Batai Family Name Leguminosae Synonyms Albizia falcata, Albizia falcataria, Albizia moluccana Common Names Albizzia, Bae, Batai, Celon sau, Ceylon sau, Jeungjing, Kayu machis, Molaccana-koroi, Molucca, Molucca albizzia, Moluccan sau, Moluccana koroi, Puah, Rare, Ratamara, Seka, Selawaku, Selawaku merah, Selawoku, Sengon laut, Sika, Sika bot, Sikas, Solomon Islands albizia, Tawa sela, Tawa selia, Tedehu dute, Wahogen, Wahogon, Wai, White albizia, White albizzia, Wikkie Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bangladesh, Hawaii [US], Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands Common Uses Balusters, Barrels, Bedroom suites, Bent Parts, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Farm vehicles, Fiberboard, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Matchboxes, Matches, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Pallets, Particleboard, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Shingles, Tables, Veneer, Wheels Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Native to the eastern islands of the Indonesian archipelago (Moluccas) and New Guinea, this species has been spread to Southeast Asia from Burma to the Philippines, and introduced locally in tropical Africa and America. It seems to thrive on many soils, alluvial soils, laterites, sandy mining soil, and white sands. Ranging from Subtropical Moist to Wet through Tropical Moist to Wet Forest Life Zones, probably tolerates annual precipitation of 20 to 45 dm and annual temperature of 20 to 28°C. In Hawaii the tree is planted as both an ornamental and a forest tree. Heartwood Color Red Yellow Brown Pink White Orange Purple Tan Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Pale red to pink White to cream Pale brown Red Yellowish tan Pinkish white Light brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Pink White to yellow Pinkish Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Interlocked Straight Figure Crossed Even Growth rings (figure) Spiral Distinct (figure) Weak (figure) Interlocked Generally straight, but not always Clear growth rings (figure) Weak figure Spiral Moderately to severely interlocked Distinct figure Texture Coarse Medium Fine Even or uniform Uniform Coarse Medium to coarse Fine to medium Even textured Luster Medium Low Sometimes lustrous but not always Slightly lustrous Natural Growth Defects Brittleheart is often present Gum and mineral deposits Natural Durability Non-durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Perishable Resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-resistant to termites Resistant to powder post beetles Non durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Very little natural resistance Susceptible to termite attack Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack Moderately durable Odor No taste Strong odor when green which disappears after it is dried Light-Induced Color Change Darker Toxicity Some toxic effects Respiratory effects Unspecified toxicity Dermatitic effects Kiln Schedules Drying (speed) is fast Drying Defects Splitting Checking Slight surface checking Slight end splitting Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Reconditioning Treatement Easy Dries at a fairly rapid rate Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is cylindrical Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 40-50 m Comments Abnormal Wood Tissue General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Moderate Little High to severe Blunting effect on sawing green wood is severe Blunting effect on sawing green wood is moderate Blunting effect on sawing green wood is mild Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild Blunting effect is slight when tension wood is absent Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Easy Use very sharp cutting edges to prevent grain from tearing Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Moderate to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate Growth stresses may cause pinching of saw blades, Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Glues well Easy to glue Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very sharp edges are required Finishes satisfactorily Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Requires very sharp cutting edges Good moulding properties Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Stable Small Holds shape well Nailing Poor to Very Poor Results Nails hold poorly Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Planes well, to a good finish Easy to plane Moderately easy to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Permeable heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately resistant Heartwood is permeable Sapwood is treatable Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Very sharp cutting edges are required to produce a smooth surface Moderate working qualities Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Requires very sharp cutters Good in both routing and recessing. Screwing Poor to Very Poor Results Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sharp cutting edges required Satisfactory Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy No drying degrade Suitable for slicing Easy to cut No steaming needed during bolt preparation. No drying degrade. Dries flat without splitting Suitable for peeling Difficult to glue Strength Properties Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Density (dry weight) = 15-22 lbs/cu. ft. Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Max. crushing strength = low Bending strength (MOR) = low Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 5343 8345 psi Density 21 lbs/ft3 Hardness 406 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 2348 4052 psi Shearing Strength 912 psi Static Bending 2822 4802 psi Stiffness 1021 1195 1000 psi Toughness 61 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 5 7 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.25 Weight 21 16 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 5 % Volumetric Shrinkage 9 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 375 586 kg/cm2 Density 336 kg/m3 Hardness 184 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 165 284 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 64 kg/cm2 Static Bending 198 337 kg/cm2 Stiffness 71 84 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 70 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.35 0.49 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.25 Weight 336 256 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 5 % References Bolza, E. and N. H. Kloot. 1966. The Mechanical Properties of 81 New Guinea Timbers. Technological Paper No. 41. Division of Forest Products. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia. Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1976,The Mechanical Properties of 81 New Guinea Timbers,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Res. Tec.Paper (2nd series) 11 Bolza, E.,1975,Properties and Uses of 175 Timber Species from Papua New Guinea and West,Irian,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Research Report,no.34 Bolza, E.,1981,The Mechanical properties of 33 Solomon Islands timbers,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Research. Technical Paper (2nd series) No.37 Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods - Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Dilip Kumar Das,1990,Wood Anatomy of Koroi (Albizia Spp.) of Bangladesh,Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Chittagong, Bulletin 10 Wood Anatomy,Series Eddowes, P.J. 1977. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Forest Products Research Center, Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea. Eddowes, P.J.,1977,Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea: Their Properties and Uses,Hebano Press, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Gerhards, C.C.,1966,Physical and Mechanical Properties of Molucca Albizzia grown in Hawaii,US Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Forest Products Lab. Madison Wis.,Research Paper FPL_55 I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer Cutting Kartasujana, I., Martawijaya, A.,1973,Commercial Woods of Indonesia,Forest Products Research Institute, Department Pertanian, Bogor Indonesia,Report No.3 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 Kloot, N. H. and E. Bolza. 1961. Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia. Technological Paper No. 12. Division of Forest Products, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia. Lee, Y.H., Lopez, D.T.,1968,The Machining Properties of some Malayan Timbers,Malayan Forester,3,pp194-210 Limaye, V.D. 1954. Grouping of Indian Timbers and their Properties, Uses and Suitability. Indian Forest Records, New Series. Timber Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 2, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India. Limaye, V.D. and B.R. Sen. 1953. Weights and Specific Gravities of Indian Woods. Indian Forest Records, New Series. Timber Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 4, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India. Peh, T.B. and Khoo, K.C.,1984,Timber Properties of Acacia mangium, Gmelina arborea, Paraserianthes,falcataria and their utilization aspects.,The Malaysian Forester, Vol.47, No.4, pp.285-303. Salleh, M.N. and W.C. Wong,1989,Utilization of Forest Plantation Trees.,Recent Developments in Tree,Plantations of Humid/Subhumid Tropics of Asia, 5-9 June 1989 Universiti,Pertanian Malaysia Proceedings of a Regional Symposium,Faculty of Forestry Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Skolmen, R.G.,1974,Some woods of Hawaii, properties and uses of 16 commercial species,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest,and Range Experiment Station, General Technical Report PSW_8 Solomon Islands, Ministry of Natural Resources, Forestry Division,1979,Solomon Islands Timbers - Minor Species,Solomon Islands, Ministry of Natural Resources, Forestry Division, Honiara,Timber Booklet 2 Tamolang, F.R. and Rocafort, J.E.,1987,Physico-Mechanical Properties and Possible Uses of Eleven Plantation-Grown,Timber Species in the Philippines,FPRDI-Journal 16:1-2,75-85 WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom. Yoji Kikata (ed.,1991,The promotion of Lesser-known Species and Plantation-grown species,Proceedings of the International Forest Products Workshop, 14 to 15,October, 1991, Nagoya University, Japan