Purpleheart
Description
The wood is dull brown in appearance when freshly cut and rapidly oxidizes to violet purple upon exposure to light where it gradually reduces to a dark purplish brown over time. The sapwood is either cream or whitish in color and the grain is generally straight. Its texture is medium to fine; lustre is medium to high, does not have any distinctive odor or taste.
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This wood is moderately difficult to work with either hand or machine tools, dulls cutters and exudes a gummy resin when heated by dull tools. Slow feed rates and especially hardened cutters are suggested. Turns smoothly, easy to glue and takes finishes well.
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It is an excellent structural timber suitable for heavy outdoor construction work such as bridges, dock work and park benches. It can also be used as flooring because of its high wearing qualities and is suitable for most high traffic areas. In addition, it i s also used in chemical plants for vats, filter press plates and frames. Also used for making billiard cue butts, tool handles, interior and exterior joinery and shipbuilding.
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Common Uses
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Inlays/accent pieces, flooring, furniture, boat building, heavy construction, and a variety of specialty wood items.
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Technical Specifications
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Common Name(s): Purpleheart, Amaranth
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Scientific Name: Peltogyne spp.
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Distribution: Central and South America (from Mexico down to southern Brazil)
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Tree Size: 100-170 ft (30-50 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
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Average Dried Weight: 56 lbs/ft3 (905 kg/m3)
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Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .76, .90
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Janka Hardness: 2,520 lbf (11,190 N)
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Modulus of Rupture: 22,000 lbf/in2 (151.7 MPa)
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Elastic Modulus: 2,937,000 lbf/in2 (20.26 GPa)
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Crushing Strength: 12,140 lbf/in2 (83.7 MPa)
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Shrinkage: Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 6.4%, Volumetric: 10.6%, T/R Ratio: 1.7
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*Source: The Wood Database; https://www.wood-database.com/