Lignum vitae
Density of lignum vitae
1,230 kg/m³ (1,150–1,330)
1.23 g/cm³ · 76.8 lb/ft³
The densest commercial timber, at 1230 kg/m³ it sinks in water, and it is about a quarter self-lubricating resin by weight. That combination made it the propeller shaft stern bearing material for the entire age of steam and beyond — the first nuclear submarines used lignum vitae stern tube bearings, water-lubricated and effectively silent, where a metal bearing would have needed oil seals that could fail. It is now CITES-listed and largely replaced by filled polymers doing the same job.
Properties
- Density
- 1,230 kg/m³ (1,150–1,330) — 1.23 g/cm³
- Young's modulus
- 18.3 GPa
- Floats in water
- No
- Magnetic
- No
What it is used for
- Ship propeller shaft bearings
- Hydroelectric turbine guide bearings
- Mallet heads and deadeyes
- Bowls for the game of bowls
How it compares
Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.
air 1.2 kg/m³
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³
Water — the float line 1,000 kg/m³
lignum vitae 1,230 kg/m³
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³
gold 19,300 kg/m³
platinum 21,450 kg/m³
| Material | Density | Relative to water |
|---|---|---|
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| lignum vitae ← | 1,230 kg/m³ | 1.23× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |
Does it rust?
Lignum vitae contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.
Is it magnetic?
Lignum vitae is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Common questions
- What is the density of lignum vitae?
- 1,230 kg/m³ (1,150–1,330), or 1.23 g/cm³.
- Does lignum vitae float?
- No. At 1,230 kg/m³ it is denser than water.
- Is lignum vitae magnetic?
- Lignum vitae is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.
Related pages
- Does lignum vitae float? No
- Pine 500 kg/m³
- Plywood 600 kg/m³
- MDF 750 kg/m³
- White oak 755 kg/m³
- Red oak 700 kg/m³
- Balsa 160 kg/m³
- Spruce 430 kg/m³
- Western red cedar 370 kg/m³
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place