Gmelina

Description

A cream-color wood obtained from the Gmelina arborea tree native to India. Gmelina wood has a medium texture with a straight or roey grain. It is easy to work and polishes to a silky smooth finish with a high gloss. Gmelina wood is used for furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, musical instruments, and decorative boxes. The tree is also cultivated for papermaking pulp.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Gmelina arborea; yemane (Fr.); oumari (Port.); gumhar

Physical and Chemical Properities

• Density = 30 ppcf

Paper fiber type: hardwood. Using transmitted light microscopy, pulp is identified by small oblong vessels with profuse, alternate pitting. Perforations are simple. Fibers have irregular ends. Septate fibers with transverse walls across the lumen are also present. Appearance with Graff "C" stain: dark blue, but varies with bleaching. Average dimensions of fibers: length 1mm, 28-38μm wide. Common pulping method: kraft. Not in common use as a paper fiber.

Resources and Citations

• The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980

• Kribs, Commercial Foreign woods on the American market

• Marja-Sisko Ilvessalo-Pfäffli. Fiber Atlas: Identification of Papermaking Fibers (Springer Series in Wood Science). Springer, 1995.

• Walter Rantanen. "Fiber ID Course." Integrated Paper Services. June 2013. Lecture.