Kiaat

Kiaat (Pterocarpus angolensis)

Common Name(s): Kiaat, Muninga

Scientific Name: Pterocarpus angolensis

Distribution: South-central Africa

Tree Size:40-60 ft (12-18 m) tall, 1.5-2.5 ft (.5-.8 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 43.6 lbs/ft³ (700 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .59

Hardness: 1,480 lb_f (6,580 N)

Rupture Strength: 13,700 lb_f/in² (94,480 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,220,000 lb_f/in² (8,410 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 8,280 lb_f/in² (57.1 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 1.7%, Tangential: 3.1%, Volumetric: 5.4%, T/R Ratio: 1.8

Color/Appearance: Heartwood color can vary widely from a lighter golden brown, to a darker reddish or purplish brown. Kiaat’s colors reportedly get lighter upon exposure to light.

Grain/Pore: Has a medium texture with mid-sized pores. The grain is straight to interlocked.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; medium pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; mineral deposits occasionally present; growth rings indistinct; rays not visible without lens; apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-on-aggregates, paratracheal parenchyma aliform (winged), confluent, and banded (not marginal).

Durability: Heartwood is rated as being durable to moderately durable. There are mixed reports as to its resistance to insect damage, ranging from very resistant to susceptible.

Workability: Generally easy to work with tools, though if there is interlocked grain present, it may tearout during planing operations. Moderate blunting effect on cutters. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

Scent: Has a very mild, aromatic scent while being worked.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Kiaat has been reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Sometimes available in the US and intended as a substitute for Teak. Kiaat is likely to be much less expensive than Teak, and should be priced on the low end of the spectrum for exotic imported wood.

Comments: As mentioned above, Kiaat is sometimes treated as a substitue for Teak. The wood has outstanding stability, and should remain quite stable in the midst of seasonal changes. Common uses for Kiaat include: furniture, boatbuilding, veneer, turnings, and other small wooden objects.