Khaya

Freshly cut, Khaya has a pink colour, discolouring from pink-red to brown-red. After several years, this colour becomes slightly irregular. Usually, the sapwood is 30-80 mm thick, yellowish to light pink. When fresh, the colour difference between sapwood and heartwood is not great, but later, under the effects of light, this becomes much clearer.

Properties of this timber species

General

• Botanical name: 1. Khaya anthotheca 2. Khaya ivorensis 3. Khaya grandifoliola 4. Khaya nyasica 5. Khaya senegalensis
• ATIBT name: Acajou d'Afrique

Quality requirements

• Congo Khaya is included in the list of approved timber species for application in wooden façade elements (SKH-Publication 99-05). This means that frames with a KOMO® product certificate can be manufactured with Congo Khaya

Uses

• This easily worked wood has an attractive colour and has a lot of similarities with Swietenia mahagoni and can replace this in many cases
• Used for furniture, interior panelling and all kinds of cabinetwork, sculpturing and turned goods. Also used for the construction and panelling of smaller vessels, such as luxury yachts.
• The attractively veined pieces from the roots are processed into sliced veneer

Durability

• Resistance to fungi: class 3 (moderately durable)
• Resistance to insects: Termites class G (sapwood susceptible to damage)

Density

• 1. (490)-520-530-(650) kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, fresh 700-850 kg/m³
• 2. (450)-500-(550) kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, fresh 650-700 kg/m³
• 3. (450)-670-(800) kg/m³ at 12% moisture content
• 4. (560)-620-650-720-(800) kg/m³ at 12% moisture content
• 5. (650)-740-(950) kg/m³ at 12% moisture content

source: Houtvademecum © 2010 Centrum Hout Almere, 10e herziene druk