Dryobalanops Aromatica (Kapur)

Scientific Name
Dryobalanops aromatica

Trade Name
Kapur

Family Name
Dipterocarpaceae

Synonyms
Dipterocarpus dryobalanops, Dipterocarpus teres, Dryobalanops camphora, Dryobalanops junghuhnii, Dryobalanops vriesii

Common Names
Anggi, Baros camphor, Borneo camphor wood, Borneo camphorwood, Borneo kamferholz, Borneo teak, Camphrier de Borneo, Haburuan, Hajoe hapoer, Hapur, Indonesian kapur, Jahalan, Kajoe kapoer, Kamgerhout, Kapoer, Kapor, Kapur, Kapur baros, Kapur barus, Kapur biasa, Kapur bukit, Kapur peringgi, Kapur peringi, Kapur ranggi, Kapur singkal, Keladan, Mahoborn teak, Malayan kapur, Singkel kamferhout, Sumatraans kamferboom, Telajin, Tengmang

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia

Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Bearings & bushings, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Boat building: planking, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Coffins, Construction, Core Stock, Decks, Door, Exterior uses, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Light construction, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Railroad ties, Roofing, Shingles, Structural work, Vehicle parts, Wharf construction

Environmental Profile

Distribution Overview
Malaysia to Borneo, including the island of Sumatra.

Heartwood Color

Kapur is often confused with Keruing (from the Dipterocarpus genus), but the latter is much more resinous and has been known to exude resin even after it has been dried and worked.

Sapwood Color

Grain

Texture

The texture is slightly finer than that of a typical Lauan, but pore arrangement and figure are very similar in the two species

Luster

Kapur is more lustrous than the softer Lauans

Natural Durability

Odor

The scent is not as permanent as in true Camphorwood.

Silica Content

Resin Content

Corrosive Properties

Kiln Schedules

Drying Defects

There is a slight tendency to cup and twist since the wood is dense and somewhat resinous.

Ease of Drying

Kiln Drying Rate

Tree Identification

Tree Size
This large tree is reported to reach maximum heights of 250 feet (76 m), with trunk diameters normally between 4 and 6 feet (1.2 and 1.8), although 10 feet (3 m) diameters have been recorded. Clear, straight, and cylindrical boles are reported to measure about 100 feet (30 m) between the buttress and lowest branches.

Product Sources
Supplies in the form of wide, clear boards are reported to be plentiful at the moment. The material bes comparable to the Lauans in price, but it is more difficult to locate on the US market.

Although the wood is sometimes referred to as Borneo camphorwood, it is not related to the true Camphorwood.

Kapur timber imported from Malaysia is somewhat heavier than supplies from Borneo.

Apart from timber, Kapur trees are also reported to yield Borneo camphor. The material is found as deposits in inter-cellular spaces or pockets along with oleo-resin and appears as clear or light yellow crystals. Camphor from Kapur is crystalline in the natural state and is rare and more expensive than those obtained after wounding the tree. Borneo camphor has been used in the past to preserve the bodies of dead high dignitaries. Essential oils such as dipentene, camphene, borneol are also isolated from the resin or oil produced by Kapur trees. The bark of the tree is removed in large sizes and used for walls, roofs, floors, beds, and occasionally for making baskets.

Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

Blunting Effect

Blunting effect on cutting tools is generally moderate, but can be severe in material containing interlocked grain.

Boring

Carving

Cutting Resistance

Corrosive and Staining Properties
Kapur is reported to contain silica at levels that are high enough to dull cutters in machining operations. Silica content of 0.12 to 0.91% of ovendry weight has been reported.
Saws are reported to gum slightly during sawing operations. There is a tendency for the material to break out at the bottom of cuts in cross-cutting and narrow band sawing.
Silica Content
Yellow compound in sapwood may stain fabrics under damp conditions. The wood is acidic and may corrode some metals, and the wood is liable to stain in contact with iron and iron compounds under moist conditions.

Gluing

Mortising

Moulding

Movement in Service

Nailing

Planing

Responds to most machine tools readily in most operations. Its working properties are, however, inferior to those of Camphorwood, since it is harder and less stable

Resistance to Impregnation

Response to Hand Tools

Routing & Recessing

Screwing

Turning

Veneering Qualities

Plywood bonded with phenolic adhesives are reported to perform poorly in external applications.

Steam Bending

Polishing

Staining

Strength Properties

The density of Kapur varies between those of Sugar maple and the Hickories. The timber is very similar to Teak (Tectona grandis ) in strength properties, except that it is slightly more elastic.

Numerical Data

References
Arno, J. 1991. Dryobalanops aromatica – Kapur. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 145-146.

Ashton, P.S.,1964,A manual of the Dipterocarp trees of Brunei State,O.U.P. London

Brown, W.H.,1969,Properties and uses of Tropical hardwoods in the United Kingdom. Part 1,Nonstructural properties and uses.,Conference on Tropical hardwoods SC-5/TN-5, Syracuse University

Burgess, H.J.,1956,The timbers of Keledang and Terap,Malayan Forester 19(1) pp36-40

Burgess, P.F.,1966,Timbers of Sabah,Sabah Forest Record, no.6

Chowdhury, K.A. and S.S. Ghosh. 1958. Indian Woods – Their Identification, Properties and Uses, Volume I – Dilleniaceae to Elaeocarpaceae. Published by the Manager of Publications, Delhi, India.

Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

Clifford, N.,1953,Commercial Hardwoods – Their Characteristics Identification and,Utilization,Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons Ltd. London

Cox, H.A.,1939,A Handbook of Empire Timbers,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough

Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers – Volume I. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore.

Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers. Malayan Forest Records, 28(30):315-318. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore.

Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO

Flemmioh, C.O.,1959,Timber Utilization in Malaysia,Malayan Forest Records 13, Govt. Printer Singapore

Foxworthy, F.W. 1921. Commercial Woods of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records, No. 1. Malayan Science Bulletin, Malaya.

Fundter, J.M.,1982,Names for Dipterocarp timbers and trees from Asia,Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands

HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Jackson, W.F.,1957,The Durability of Malayan Timbers,Malayan Forester,20,pp38-48

Keith, H.G.,1947,The Timbers of North Borneo,Government Colony of North Borneo, North Borneo Forest Record No.3

Kraemer, J.H.,1951,Trees of the Western Pacific Region,West Lafayette, Indiana U.S.A.

Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.

Kukachka, B.F.,1970,Properties of Imported Tropical Woods,Forest Research Paper FPL 125

Lee, Y.H., et al,1974,Commercial Timbers of Peninsular Malaysia,Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia and,Malaysian Timber Industry Board

Lee, Y.H., Lopez, D.T.,1968,The Machining Properties of some Malayan Timbers,Malayan Forester,3,pp194-210

Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California.

Martawijaya, A., Kadir, K., Kartasujana, I.,1986,Indonesian Wood Atlas. Vol.1.,Department of Forestry Agency for Forestry Research and Development.,Bogar-Indonesia

Meijer, W., Wood, G.H.S.,1964,Dipterocarps of Sabah (North Borneo,Sabah Forest Department, Forest Record No.5

Sarawak – Borneo Lit.Bureau,1961,Common Sarawak timbers,Borneo Lit. Bureau for Sarawak Forestry Department

Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation,1981,Guide to Timber Trade in Sarawak,S.T.I.D.C. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Smith, D.N.,1959,The Natural Durability of Timber,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Building Research,Establishment Record,No.30

Stadelman, R.C.,1966,Forests of South-East Asia,Wimmer Bros., Memphis Tennessee

Strugnell, E.J.,1931,Notes on woods for furniture making,Malaysian Forester 1 pp69-73

Thomas, A.V.,1933,Tests of the resistance to marine borer attack of some Malayan timbers,untreated and treated with preservatives,Malayan Forester 3 pp179-82

Thomas, A.V.,1934,Results of mechanical and physical tests on fully air dried timbers,Malayan Forester 3 pp15-17

Thomas, A.V.,1949,Malayan Timbers,The Malayan Forester 12 pp201-7

Tropical Timber Information Centre (U.S.A.,1975,Dryobalanops sp. (Dipterocarpaceae,State University, New York,T.T.I.C. Brief no. 24

Walker, F.S.,1941,Resistance of Timbers to Marine Borer Attack,Malayan Forester 10(4) pp145-9

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC, Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.

Wong Choong Ngok, Burgess, H.J.,1960,A comparison of linear shrinkage data obtained by different methods,Malaysia Forest Research Institute, Forestry Department Research Pamphlet,29