Purpleheart (Peltogyne Paniculata)

Purpleheart, found in Trinidad and Guyana, is frequently used for veneer, billiard cues, decorative work, and in general cabinetmaking. It is one of the most distinctive woods of tropical America. Purpleheart is very hard, dense, extremely heavy, strong, tough, durable, and is recognized for its unusual purple coloring.  

The tree, moderately large, averages 1.5 to 3 feet in diameter and 90 to 120 feet in height but will grow to 4 feet in diameter and 170 feet in height.  Boles are clear 50-90 feet, straight, cylindrical above the buttresses and with considerable taper. The heartwood is a dull brown in color, but turns deep purple when freshly cut and exposed to air.

APPEARANCE
The uniform texture of Purpleheart varies from fine to medium. The grain is usually straight and seldom interlocked, but is sufficiently irregular along with variation in luster and color to give the wood a pleasing stripe figure on the quarter-sawn surface. The wood is of medium luster, somewhat greasy in appearance, and cold to touch. No distinctive odor or taste is present in seasoned wood. The sapwood, distinct from the heartwood is 2-4 inches thick and creamy white to light pinkish cinnamon streaked with light brown. The heartwood is a grayish purple when freshly cut, later becoming a violet to deep purple through an oxidation process.

USE
Purpleheart’s characteristics make it an excellent structural timber for heavy outdoor construction work such as: bridges, dock work, fresh water pilings, structural purposes, house framing and park benches. It is also a quality material for many other parts of house construction from millwork to flooring or siding. Purpleheart has also been successfully used in chemical plants for vats, filter press plates and frames.  Because of the unique shades and peculiar color effects of Purpleheart, it is well adapted for use in turnings, marquetry, cabinets, ornamental furniture, counter tops, carvings, inlays, billiard cues, paneling, decorative handles, flooring, and other similar uses.

NATURAL DURABILITY
Purpleheart is highly resistant to decay, termites and fire. The heartwood is very durable and extremely resistant to preservative treatment, however the sapwood is permeable.

Scientific Name: Peltogyne – (Family: Caesalpiniaceae)
A.T.I.B.T. Standard Name: Amarante, or Purpleheart
Other Names: Amaranth, Nazareno, Pau Roxo, Bois Violet, Barabu
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Weight: In the green condition the timber weighs 75-77 pounds per cubic foot, and about 54 pounds per cubic foot (860 kg/m3) when air-dry.
Specific Gravity: Air-dry wood averages about .87 based on air-dry volume and weight, and averages .75 based on green volume and oven-dry weight.
Bending Strength: 147 N/mm2 (21300 lbf/in2).
Modulus of Elasticity: 1600N/mm2 (242000 lbf/in2).
Compression Comparable to Grain: 78.5 N/mm2 (11380 lbg/in2).