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Blunting Effect Boring Carving Certified Source 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 Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resin Content Resistance to Abrasion Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities		Scientific Name Protium paraense Trade Name Copal Family Name Burseraceae Common Names Anime, Balsamo, Bois encens, Breu branco, Breu preto, Carano, Copal, Fontole, Kurokai, Latilla, Pom, Sucuriuba, Tacamahaco Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela Common Uses Beams, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Core Stock, Decks, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Office furniture, Particleboard, Plain veneer, Plywood, Veneer Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Rare Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The species occurs throughout tropical America, and is most abundant in the Amazon basin. It is frequent in the marsh forests of Guyana. Heartwood Color Red Yellow Brown Orange Pink White Purple Reddish brown Dark streaks irregularly spaced Brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Pink Red Pale buff/pinkish Not always clearly defined Grain Even Figure Straight to very irregular and interlocked Texture Medium Coarse Fine Even or uniform Uniform Very fine/fairly coarse Luster High Natural Durability Moderately durable Durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Non-durable Perishable Resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to termites Very little natural resistance Susceptible to termite and dry wood insect attack Moderately resistant to attack by marine borers Odor Has an odor Has a taste No specific smell or taste Silica Content May contain silica Resin Content Contains resin Toxicity Some toxic effects Kiln Schedules T3 - C2 (4/4) US T3 - C1 (8/4) US Drying Defects Distortion Checking Internal Honeycombing Possible Splitting Discoloration Ring Shakes Loose Knots Collapse Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Reconditioning Treatement Moderately Difficult to Difficult Air dries moderately easy Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Tree Size Tree height is 60-70 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 50-60 m Tree height is 40-50 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is greater than 70 m Trunk diameter is 300-350 cm Trunk diameter is 250-300 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Bole length is 30-40 m Bark width is greather than 50 mm Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 20-30 m Product Sources The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced at a low rate. It is occasionally exported. Certified Source Certified Source Comments Wounds in bark yield resin for 'elemi' incense Blunting Effect Moderate Little High to severe Timber may be abrasive due to silica Boring Very good to excellent results Fairly easy to very easy May dull cutters if silica is present Best if bored in dry condition Carving Seasoned wood is generally easier to work Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Debarking is recommended before saw to prevent resin build up on tools Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Silica content rapidly blunts cutting edges Mortising in dry condition is best Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult There is a moderate blunting effect Moulding qualities improve with seasoning Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Easy to plane Resistance to Abrasion High Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is highly resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Seasoned wood works well May be abrasive with silica Generally good response Routing & Recessing Non-Silicieous, dry material are generally easier Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning finish is rated as moderate to good Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Difficult to veneer No drying degrade Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Painting Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Max. crushing strength = high Heavy Hardness (side grain) = medium Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9678 13622 psi Density 38 lbs/ft3 Hardness 980 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 4626 7738 psi Stiffness 1470 1691 1000 psi Toughness 164 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.51 Weight 37 30. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 680 957 kg/cm2 Density 608 kg/m3 Hardness 444 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 325 544 kg/cm2 Stiffness 103 118 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 188 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.51 Weight 592 480. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.