Important Coco Palm Hardwood
Research References
From 1994-1998 Research Studies by Tangaloa Prime
| “...It’s
(Tangaloa hardwood) a replacement for any
hardwood...” |
Reference:
“The palms are more closely related to the
hardwoods...” 2,3
“...the stem (trunk) of the
coconut palm (cocos nucifera Linn.) can be
classified as a wood.” 2
2
Technical Information Div, 1985. Coconut Wood.
Forest Products Research and Development
Institute, College Laguna, Phillipines. p. 59.
3 Refers to
wood properties and qualities, not to family
classification.
| "This
wood is better than or equal to any
standard hardwoods." |
Reference:
“The
strength properties of the hard outer portion of
the coconut trunk (basic resource of Tangaloa
hardwood) are comparable to those of ‘Class
3’ timbers...the modulus of elasticity (MOE)
and shrear (SH) strength are comparable to those
of ‘Class 4’ timbers.” 4
“...Because
the species grouped under ‘Class 3’ or
‘Class 4’ are well-known structural
timbers and common house construction materials,
the hard portion of the coconut trunk is also
suitable for the same purposes.” 4
“...in
compression parallel and perpendicular to grain
and in the closely related property of hardness,
coconut wood has some values that are higher and
others that are slightly lower...” 5
4
1985. FPRI Mature Technologies. Forest
Products Research and Development Institute,
College Laguna, Phillipines. p. 17.
5 Technical Information Div, 1985.
Coconut Wood. Forest Products Research and
Development Institute, College Laguna,
Phillipines. p. 61.
| “In
the Pacific, alone, the world resource
capacity of Tangaloa numbers in the
billions of board feet.” |
Reference:
“In
many tropical countries over-aged coconut palm
plantations will be cut down during the next
decades...In the Philippines alone, for example,
about 6 million palm stems are supposed to be
available annually after 1985 for a period of 40
years.” 6,7
6
Killmann W, 1983 , Institute of Biology, Hamburg.
“Some Physical Properties of the Coconut
Stem.” Wood Science and Technology.
17:167-185.
7 Each stem or tree yields
approximately 40 board feet of milled hardwood.
In the Philippines example, the 40-year yield
would be over 9.6 billion board feet. Thereafter,
trees planted 40 years prior, come into
harvesting age and the cycle begins all over,
again.
| "All
Tangaloa hardwood is prime grade with
clear and attractive grain patterns. The
wood is knot-free and a true natural
hardwood." |
Reference:
“...the
dark color of the vascular bundles gives
longitudinal surfaces a unique
‘quill-like’ appearance and therein
lies the decorative value of the wood.” 8
“...No
branches and knots...” 8,9
“The
palms are more closely related to the hardwoods
than to softwoods.”8
8
Technical Information Div, 1985. Coconut
Wood. Forest Products Research and Development
Institute, College Laguna, Phillipines. p. 59.
9 All prime grade lumber is knot-free.
| "Product-wise,
Tangaloa is termite-resistant and
excellent for flooring, cabinetry, panels
and a myriad of other wood-based
products." |
Reference:
“5.
Uses of Coconut Wood. Coconut wood can be used
for diverse purposes...it can be used of fence
posts, electric and communication poles,
cross-arms, small-span bridge timbers...For
housing, coconut wood can be utilized for posts,
beams, trusses, purlins, studs, ceiling joists
and hangers, fascia boards, tongue and groove
flooring, siding, ceiling and insulation boards,
shingles, floor tiles (parquet), door and window
jambs, door frames and panels, window frames and
blades, louvers, stair braces, finished lumber,
cabinet frames, forms and
scaffoldings...household utensils, interior
decoration, bookshelves, picture frames, canes,
night sticks, novelty items, tool handles,
funiture, wooden shoes, boxes and
crates...vehicle and truck bodies, boat
plankings, firewood and charcoal.”10
“Coconut
trunk can be successfully pulped by the kraft
process which gives a high yield of 42.8%,
approximating that of white luan [Pentaeme
controta (Vid.) Merr & Rolfe] which is
47.3%...bag paper made from 100% coconut-trunk
sulfate pulp has good bursting and tensile
strengths...”11
“...briquettes
produced had good crushing strength and burning
properties.”11
“Sawdust
as Feeds for Cattle...the bulls, fed with treated
and untreated coconut-trunk sawdust, gained
faster body weight and had a better feed
efficiency than with the conventional
silage.”11
10
Technical Information Div, 1985. Coconut
Wood. Forest Products Research and Development
Institute, College Laguna, Phillipines. p. 62.
11 Tamolang Dr. Francisco, 1978,
College Laguna. Utilization of Coconut Timber.
The Phillipine Lumberman. 24(5):23-31.
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