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American cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Other names: Eastern cottonwood, Eastern poplar, Carolina poplar
Distribution
Eastern USA, main commercial areas Middle and Southern States.
General description
The sapwood is white and may contain brown streaks while the heartwood
may be pale to light brown. It is a diffuse porous timber with a
coarse texture. The wood is generally straight grained and contains
relatively few defects. Cottonwood is a true poplar, and therefore
has similar characteristics and properties to aspen and European
poplar.
Working properties
General machinability is fair, although tension wood is frequently
present and can cause a fuzzy surface when cut, which in turn will
require additional care when finishing. The wood glues well and
has good resistance to splitting when nailing and screwing. It dries
easily but may still have a tendency to warp, with small movement
in performance.
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Physical properties
Cottonwood is relatively light in weight. The wood is soft, and
weak in bending and compression, and low in shock resistance. It
has no odour or taste when dry.
Specific Gravity: 0.40 (12% M.C.)
Average Weight: 449 kg/m3 (12% M.C.)
Average Volumetric Shrinkage: 11.3% (Green to 6% M.C.)
Modulus of Elasticity: 9466 MPa
Hardness: 1913 N
Durability
Non-resistant to decay.
Availability
USA: Widely available in lumber and veneer.
Export: May be limited in some markets (where demand is low).
Main uses
Furniture, furniture parts, interior joinery and mouldings, toys
and kitchen utensils. A specialised use (USA) is Venetian blinds
and shutters. |
