Scientific Name
Eucalyptus nitens
Trade Name
Ironbark
Family Name
Myrtaceae
Common Names
Ironbark, Nitens gum, Shining gum
Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Australia
Environmental Profile
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Distribution Overview
Australia, including Tasmania.
Heartwood Color
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Purple | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellowish tan | ||||||||||||
| Whitish | ||||||||||||
| Pale red to pink |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Straight |
| Generally straight, but not always |
Texture
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Even or uniform | ||||||||||||
| Uniform | ||||||||||||
| Close |
Natural Durability
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| No natural resistance |
Drying Defects
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Checking |
Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Thick Stock Requires Care | ||||||||||||
| Medium to High Shrinkage | ||||||||||||
| Slowly | ||||||||||||
| Reconditioning Treatement | ||||||||||||
| Moderately Difficult to Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Little degrade |
Comparable to Ash, (Fraxinus)
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries slowly |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 0-10 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 40-50 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm |
Comments
Light
Moderate Strength
Tough
Blunting Effect
| Moderate |
Boring
| Fairly difficult to very difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fair to good results |
Carving
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Poor to Very Poor Results |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw |
Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Surface Preparation | ||||||||||||
| Carefully Controlled Conditions |
Mortising
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
Moulding
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability – Medium Movement | ||||||||||||
| Excellent Stability – Small Movement |
Nailing
| Pre-Boring Recommended |
Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Permeable sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work | ||||||||||||
| Responds Poorly | ||||||||||||
| Torn grain is a common problem | ||||||||||||
| Easy to machine |
Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
Sanding
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Screwing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Pre-boring recommended | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Turning
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
Steam Bending
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Exudation | ||||||||||||
| Unsuitable |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 8805 | 14014 | psi |
| Crushing Strength | 834 | 1049 | psi |
| Density | 43 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 1284 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 4439 | 8173 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 1769 | psi | |
| Static Bending | 5410 | 8722 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1470 | 1823 | 1000 psi |
| Toughness | 137 | inch-lbs | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.49 | 0.59 | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 619 | 985 | kg/cm2 |
| Crushing Strength | 58 | 73 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 689 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 582 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 312 | 574 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 124 | kg/cm2 | |
| Static Bending | 380 | 613 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 103 | 128 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Toughness | 157 | cm-kg |
References
Bolza, E., Kloot, N. H. 1963. The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers. Technological Paper No. 25. Division of Forest Products, Center for Scientific and Industrial Organization (CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia.
Hillis, W.E. and A.G. Brown, Editors. 1984. Eucalyptus for Wood Production. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Academic Press, Australia.