Babul (Acacia arabica)
Family: Leguminosae
Common names: Babbar, Babla, Babola, Babul, Babur, Bamura, Baval, Bawal, Fali, Gabur bakar, Gobalu, Gobli, Jali, Kalikikar, Karrijali, Karuvai, Karuvelam, Karuvelum, Kikar, Meshwal, Nella tuma, Tamma, Tuma, Vedi-babul
Distributed in: Burma, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (Oceania and S.E. Asia)
Distribution overview: Babul is widespread in Africa and Asia, and can also be found in Australia. In Kenya, it is mainly found at 900 to 2 000 m. It is found in well watered Sahelian and Sudanian savannas to the southern Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and in the Gambia, the Sudan, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, and on lateritic soil in the Himalayan foothills in India (where it is indigenous to Sind, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra). It is also cultivated in other areas, including Sri Lanka.
Common uses: Agricultural implements, Beams, Bearings & bushings, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: decking, Boat building: framing, Bridge construction, Canoes, Carvings, Charcoal, Crossties, Door, Dyewood , Flooring, Foundation posts, Fuelwood, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Lifeboats, Light construction, Mine timbers, Piling, Poles, Posts, Railroad ties, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Stakes, Structural work, Tool handles, Truck bodies, Turnery, Vats, Vehicle parts
Environment profile: Status unknown in many of its growth areas
Tree size: Tree height is 20-30 m
Colors: the heart isWhite, White to creamand the sapwoodWhitish, Yellow.The grain isWavy, the textureMedium coarse to coarseand the lusterPronounced
Natural durability: Very durable, Very durable
Kiln Schedules: Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rather slow
Kiln Drying Rate: Slow (18-28 days for boards < 32 mm, to 52-84 days for boards >= 63 mm)
Drying Defects: Splitting, Surface checks
Ease of Drying: Thick Stock Requires Care
Blunting Effect: Slight dulling effect on cutting edges
Carving: Very good results
Cutting Resistance: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw
Gluing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Mortising: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moulding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Movement in Service: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Nailing:
Nailing (Ease) = ,1,2,3,5
Planing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Resistance to Impregnation: Resistant sapwood
Response to hand tools: Yields a smooth, clean finish
Steam bending: Moderate
Turning: Very good
Polishing: Very Good to Excellent;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
 |
 |
 |
 |
Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
0,6 |
0,61 |
|
Density |
|
801 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
935 |
1452 |
kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
482 |
729 |
kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
|
1202 |
kg |
Impact Strength |
162 |
119 |
cm |
Shearing Strength |
|
177 |
kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
117 |
133 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
5 |
|
% |
Radial Shrinkage |
2 |
|
% |
Weight |
881 |
785 |
kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
|
|
cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
|
214 |
cm-kg |
Static Bending |
|
|
kg/cm2 |
|
 |  |  |  | Item | Green | Dry | English | Bending Strength | 13312 | 20655 | psi | Density | | 50 | lbs/ft3 | Hardness | | 2652 | lbs | Impact Strength | 64 | 47 | inches | Maximum Crushing Strength | 6857 | 10376 | psi | Shearing Strength | | 2519 | psi | Stiffness | 1674 | 1899 | 1000 psi | Toughness | | 186 | inch-lbs | Specific Gravity | 0.6 | 0.61 | | Weight | 55 | 49 | lbs/ft3 | Radial Shrinkage | 2 | | % | Tangential Shrinkage | 5 | | % | Volumetric Shrinkage | 8 | | % | |
Bending strength (MOR) = high 0 Hardness (side grain) = very hard Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Volumetric = small Shrinkage, Radial = small Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Radial = very small Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Density (dry weight)= 53 - 60 lbs/cu. ft Bending strength (MOR) = medium Weight = high Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate Shrinkage, Volumetric = large Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Resists denting and marring Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very high Max. crushing strength = high Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high
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