---
title: "Lignum vitae — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Lignum vitae has a density of 1,230 kg/m³ (1,150–1,330). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/lignum-vitae/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| 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?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/lignum-vitae/)
- [Pine](https://atoneplace.net/material/pine/)
- [Plywood](https://atoneplace.net/material/plywood/)
- [MDF](https://atoneplace.net/material/mdf/)
- [White oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/white-oak/)
- [Red oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/red-oak/)
- [Balsa](https://atoneplace.net/material/balsa/)
- [Spruce](https://atoneplace.net/material/spruce/)
- [Western red cedar](https://atoneplace.net/material/cedar/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)