Brownheart/Acapu Hardwood Technical Species Information

Detailed scientific and mechanical properties for Brazilian Brownheart, Acapu wood

Brazilian Brownheart, Acapu

Description: Brazilian Brownheart is a very popular hardwood in Brazil and commonly used for heavy construction & flooring. The color of the wood is a beautiful dark chocolate brown with lighter brown striping and just a hint of red. The grain of the wood is coarse & wavy giving it a very unique appearance and setting it apart from many of the other South American hardwoods.
More Info: Brownheart flooring is ideal for those customers looking to avoid the characteristic heavy red tones of such popular species like Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Ipe, etc. It’s inviting & warm brownish-red color is virtually identical to that of Dark Sucupira. In fact, the two species are so similar that many mills have great difficulty in telling them apart during the grading process. We currently stock Brownheart in 3/4" x 3" & 3-1/4" widths; lengths are 1’-7’. The product is Clear grade and only available Prefinished.
Other Names: Bruinhart, Sarabebeballi, Wacapou
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Janka Hardness: 2,028 pounds
Strength (MOR): 21,640 psi
Stiffness (MOE): 2,530 1000 psi
Density (KG/m3): 0
Color: Heartwood dark brown or reddish brown, deepening upon exposure, figured with fine parenchyma lines; sharply demarcated from the nearly white sapwood.
Photosensitivity: Low
Tangential Shrinkage: 6.9%
Radial Shrinkage: 4.9%
Family: Legumonisae
Tree Characteristics: The Acapu tree can reach up to 100 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter.
Geographic Area: Surinam, French Guiana, and the State of Para in Brazil.
Texture: Coarse
Grain: Straight to irregular.
Luster: Medium to low.
Durability Rating: Very durable in resistance to attack by a brown-rot and white-rot fungus, not attacked by dry-wood termites or other insects.
Drying Characteristics: Moderately difficult to dry with slight warping in the form of cup and twist and slight checking.
Working Characteristics: Moderately difficult to work because of density; machines to smooth surfaces, but there is some rough and torn grain in boring and mortising. Takes glue well.
Applications: Heavy construction, flooring, interior trim, furniture, cabinetwork, paneling, railroad crossties.