Simarouba (Simarouba amara)
Family: Simaroubaceae
Common names: Acajou Blanc, Accituno, Aceituno, Adonichi, Adoonsidero, Aku, Aruba, Assoumaripa, Bitter ash, Bitterash, Bitteresche, Bitterwood, Bois blanc, Bois de cayan, Brazilian white pine, Caixeta, Cedro Amargo, Cedro Blanco, Chiriuana, Cuna, Guitarro, Malacacheta, Marouba, Maruba, Marupa, Marupauba, Megrito, Mountain damson, Negrito, Olivo, Pao pomba, Paradise tree, Parahyba, Paraiba, Pasa-ak, Pau parahyba, Pitomba, Roba, Shirima, Simarouba, Simarruba, Simaruba, Simarupa, Simere, Soemaroeba, Soemaroepa, Stavewood, Tamanqueira, Walkara, Xpasak, Yaku
Distributed in: Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela (Central America, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia)
Distribution overview: The genus Simarouba consists of shrubs and small, medium-sized, or large trees that are widely distributed in tropical America. Their growth range extends through northern South America from Venezuela and the Guianas to the Amazon region of Brazil, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. S. amara grow principally in the Guianas and the Amazon region in Brazil.
Common uses: Blockboard, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Cooperages, Core Stock, Cutting surfaces, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Matchboxes, Matches, Mathematical instruments, Millwork, Moldings, Musical instruments, Musical instruments: piano, Office furniture, Packing cases, Particleboard, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Stools, Tables , Toys, Trimming, Turnery, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes
Product sources: The ITTO reports that timber production from the species is regular but exportation is rather low.
Environment profile: Status has not been officially assessed
Tree size: Sapwood width is 0-5 cm
Colors: the heart isYellow, Yellow-Brown to bright yellow, often with a greenish tinge and the sapwoodWhite to yellow, Yellow.The grain isWeak figure, the textureUniformand the lusterPronounced
Natural durability: Very durable, Very low natural resistance to decay and attack by termites
Odor: No distinct odor or taste
Kiln Schedules: Drying (speed) is fast
Kiln Drying Rate: Naturally dries slowly
Drying Defects: Slight tendency to warp and check during drying , Slight twist/warp
Ease of Drying: Slowly
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is straight
Comments: General finishing qualities are rated as good Oily streaks are occasionally present
Blunting Effect: Very slight blunting effect on cutting tools
Boring: Responds readily to ordinary tools in boring operations to produce clean surfaces
Carving: Responds readily to carving operations
Cutting Resistance: Low resistance to sawing, but freshly felled logs may split due to internal stresses
Gluing: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Mortising: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moulding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Movement in Service: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Nailing: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult, Holds nails well
Planing: Very Good to Excellent
Resistance to Impregnation: Satisfactory preservative absorption and retention
Response to hand tools: Responds well to hand tools
Routing recessing: Good routing qualities
Sanding: Good sanding properties
Veneering qualities: Veneer dries relatively rapidly, with little degrade except slight tendency to split , Veneers tend to be fragile
Screwing: Easy to screw, Poor to satisfactory screwing properties ; Turning: Turned surfaces are generally clean and smooth
Painting: Takes paint without difficulty ; Polishing: Very Good to Excellent; Staining: Finish is generally good
; Varnishing: Satisfactory;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
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Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
0,37 |
0,38 |
|
Density |
|
416 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
457 |
695 |
kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
26 |
41 |
kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
|
173 |
kg |
Impact Strength |
|
|
cm |
Shearing Strength |
|
77 |
kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
82 |
92 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
5 |
|
% |
Radial Shrinkage |
2 |
|
% |
Weight |
448 |
400 |
kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
0,28 |
0,35 |
cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
|
74 |
cm-kg |
Static Bending |
268 |
432 |
kg/cm2 |
|
| | | | Item | Green | Dry | English | Bending Strength | 6506 | 9886 | psi | Crushing Strength | 372 | 588 | psi | Density | | 26 | lbs/ft3 | Hardness | | 382 | lbs | Maximum Crushing Strength | 3101 | 5172 | psi | Shearing Strength | | 1108 | psi | Static Bending | 3822 | 6154 | psi | Stiffness | 1171 | 1321 | 1000 psi | Toughness | | 65 | inch-lbs | Work to Maximum Load | 4 | 5 | inch-lbs/in3 | Specific Gravity | 0.37 | 0.38 | | Weight | 28 | 25 | lbs/ft3 | Radial Shrinkage | 2 | | % | Tangential Shrinkage | 5 | | % | Volumetric Shrinkage | 8 | | % | |
Bending strength (MOR) = low 0 Hardness (side grain) = very soft 0 Shrinkage, Radial = very small 0 Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low 0 Max. crushing strength = medium 0 Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. 0 Shrinkage, Tangential = very small 1 Shrinkage, Volumetric=very small 0 Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low 0 Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength = low Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = small Bending strength (MOR) = medium Shrinkage, Volumetric = small Shrinkage, Tangential = large Weight=Medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Not hard Dents and marrs easily Density=Average/Medium Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 15-22 lbs/cu. ft. Compression strength (parallel to grain) = low Bending stength in air-dried condition...is medium
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