Balanocarpus spp.

Chengal

Penak

Family: Dipterocarpaceae

Other Common Names: Takien-chan (Thailand), Kong, Karakong (India), Mindanao Narek, Narek (Philippines).

Distribution: B. heimii is widely distributed in the Malay Peninsula including Thailand south of Pattani. Other species reported in India and the Philippines.

The Tree: Stem diameters over 3 ft are common; boles mostly well-shaped and clear for 100 ft or more. A very large specimen with a diameter of 13 ft is reported.

The Wood:

General Characteristics: Heartwood light yellow brown with a distinct green tinge when fresh, changing on exposure to a dark brown or dark purple brown; sharply demarcated from the pale yellow sapwood. Luster moderate; grain usually only shallowly interlocked; texture fine and even; odor and taste not distinctive.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.76; air-dry density 58 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-in. standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)

Green (10) 17,680 2,630 10,000

16% 21,560 2,840 10,900

Janka side hardness 2,085 lb for green material and 2,130 lb for dry.

Drying and Shrinkage: The wood is slow drying and prone to surface checking. Shrinkage is reported to be low. Kiln schedule T2-C2 is suggested for 4/4 stock. Air-drying prior to kiln-drying is recommended.

Working Properties: Easy to work with both hand and machine tools but there is some tendency for saws to gum up; planes to a smooth surface and takes a very good polish.

Durability: Heartwood is very resistant to insect and fungal attack; but is reported as vulnerable to marine borers.

Preservation: Heartwood is reported as not treatable.

Uses: Heavy construction, railroad crossties, boatbuilding, utility poles, industrial flooring, vats, casks, and tanks.

Additional Reading: (10), (11), (63)

M 150 282-3Logs are delivered to a sawmill in southern Nigeria. African mahogany

(mostly Khaya ivorensis) is in high demand on overseas markets. Export of logs fro

this region, as well as from most other tropical areas, is being restricted.

M 150 282-2Band mills in Ghana are designed to handle logs 5 feet and more in

diameter. Obeche or Wawa (Triplochiton scleroxylon) logs yield lumber favored for

joinery and millwork.

M 150 273-14In many areas of the tropics, fast-growing species are being introduced

future supplies of fuel wood and industrial wood. Batai (Albizia falcataria) is

a favored plantation species in the Philipines.