 
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Family: Betulaceae
Common names: Alder, Aulne noir, Aune, Aune commune, Black alder, Common alder, Eis, Els, Erle, European alder, Grey alder, Hannoki, Japanese alder, Klibbal
Distributed in: Russia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom (Africa, Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Sea Region, Oceania and S.E. Asia, Western Europe)
Distribution overview: Natural throughout British Isles and most of Europe. Naturalized in NE U.S. and SE Canada (Maritime provinces) and forming pure stands along some rivers and streams. Introduced in colonial times. It is also found in western Asia, and northern Africa. Long cultivated, the original range is difficult to determine. Black alder is spread all over Europe from Ireland in the west to western Siberia in the east, as far as northern Africa in the south and up to 65o in the north. It has been introduced in the Azores and in the United States of America. Its range both in Europe and Africa is not compact but markedly disjunct. In the mountainous regions of the central Europe it reaches altitudes between 1500 and 1800 m. Its preferred climate is moderate to cold one, it grows best in deep soils where the water table is high. Optimum amount of precipitation is from 800 to 860 mm per year. It does not tolerate stagnant water or high soil acidity.
Common uses: Artificial limbs, Baskets, Bearings & bushings, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Broom handles, Brush backs & handles, Brush backs & handles, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Charcoal, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture, Joinery, Light construction, Marine construction, Musical instruments, Particleboard, Piling, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Shade rollers, Sporting Goods, Textile equipment, Toys, Turnery, Utility plywood, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wooden shoes
Product sources: The tree is cultivated in some parts of the Philippines for its valuable oil (lumbang oil), which is used as a substitute for linseed oil.
Environment profile: Status has not been officially assessed
Tree size: Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Colors: the heart isYellow, Yellow to golden-yellow to orangeand the sapwoodWhite, Yellow.The grain isStriped figure, the textureFineand the lusterSlightly lustrous
Natural durability: Susceptible to marine borer attack, Susceptible to wood staining fungal attack
Odor: No specific smell or taste
LightInduced Color Change: Darker
Kiln Schedules: Uk=J US=T10D5S/T8D4S Fr=4
Kiln Drying Rate: Naturally dries quickly
Drying Defects: Little or no degrade
Ease of Drying: Slowly
Comments: General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect: Little
Boring: Fairly easy to very easy
Cutting Resistance: Low resistance to sawing
Gluing: Glues well
Mortising: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moulding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Movement in Service: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Nailing: Satisfactory nailing properties, Very Good to Excellent
Planing: Sharp surfaces are required
Resistance to Impregnation: Sapwood is permeable
Response to hand tools: Responds well to hand tools
Routing recessing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Veneering qualities: Veneers easily, Veneers moderately easy
Steam bending: Moderate
Screwing: Screwing yields satisfactory results, Very Good to Excellent Results; Turning: Very Good to Excellent Results
Painting: Very Good to Excellent; Polishing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy; Staining: Very Good to Excellent;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
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 |
 |
 |
Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
|
0,41 |
|
Density |
|
528 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
456 |
731 |
kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
246 |
430 |
kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
|
293 |
kg |
Impact Strength |
63 |
68 |
cm |
Shearing Strength |
|
110 |
kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
80 |
93 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
|
|
% |
Radial Shrinkage |
5 |
|
% |
Weight |
512 |
496 |
kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
0,56 |
0,77 |
cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
|
192 |
cm-kg |
Static Bending |
|
|
kg/cm2 |
|
 |  |  |  | Item | Green | Dry | English | Bending Strength | 6490 | 10402 | psi | Density | | 33 | lbs/ft3 | Hardness | | 647 | lbs | Impact Strength | 25 | 27 | inches | Maximum Crushing Strength | 3505 | 6125 | psi | Shearing Strength | | 1573 | psi | Stiffness | 1142 | 1329 | 1000 psi | Toughness | | 167 | inch-lbs | Work to Maximum Load | 8 | 11 | inch-lbs/in3 | Specific Gravity | | 0.41 | | Weight | 32 | 31 | lbs/ft3 | Radial Shrinkage | 5 | | % | Tangential Shrinkage | 9 | | % | |
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. 0 Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Bending strength (MOR) = low Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength = low Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft.
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