Black Walnut GREEN
Print state
GREEN = freshly sawn, above fibre saturation
Pick for wet-turning, steam bending or carving blanks that will be dried after rough shaping.
Values for the GREEN condition
What is Black Walnut GREEN?
Black Walnut GREEN is Black Walnut in the GREEN condition — pick for wet-turning, steam bending or carving blanks that will be dried after rough shaping. Black Walnut GREEN has a tensile strength of 70 MPa (10.2 ksi), stronger than 67% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1.5% and the elastic modulus is 9.8 GPa (1.42 Msi). Black Walnut GREEN has a density of 0.95 g/cm³ (0.0343 lb/in³), heavier than 77% of natural material grades.
Advantages
- Conducts heat well — 0.3 W/m·K (0.173 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of natural material grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 80/100, better than 80% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Limited service temperature — 60°C (140 °F), worse than 94% of natural material grades
- Difficult to machine — 60/100, worse than 89% of natural material grades
- Heavy — 0.95 g/cm³ (0.0343 lb/in³), worse than 77% of natural material grades
Black Walnut GREEN properties
Typical room-temperature values for Black Walnut GREEN; 11 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Black Walnut reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Black Walnut GREEN has a density of 0.95 g/cm³ (0.0343 lb/in³), heavier than 77% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Black Walnut GREEN has a tensile strength of 70 MPa (10.2 ksi), stronger than 67% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1.5% and the elastic modulus is 9.8 GPa (1.42 Msi).
Thermal5
Black Walnut GREEN is rated for continuous service to 60°C (140 °F). It conducts heat at 0.3 W/m·K (0.173 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4.5 µm/m·K (2.5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Black Walnut GREEN is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 4.5 kV/mm (114.3 V/mil) and a resistivity of 10,000 Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is fair (35/100), worse than 66% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Black Walnut GREEN takes about 11 MJ of energy and emits 0.55 kg of CO₂ — less than 51% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 3%.
Manufacturability2
Black Walnut GREEN's machinability is good (60/100, worse than 89% of natural material grades).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Black Walnut GREEN
Is Black Walnut easy to machine?
Cuts, turns and carves cleanly with low tool wear; use sharp carbide and moderate feed to avoid burnishing, and pre-bore for screws near ends.
Can Black Walnut be welded?
Not weldable — join by PVA/urea or epoxy adhesives and mechanical fasteners; walnut glues well with clean, freshly machined faces.
Can Black Walnut be formed, bent or molded?
Steam bends only fairly (compression strap advised); rotary/slice veneering and CNC 3D shaping are the usual forming routes.
What surface finishes work on Black Walnut?
Sands to a fine surface and accepts oil, shellac, lacquer or waterborne finishes without stain; use UV-blocking topcoats since heartwood lightens and sapwood is often steamed or dyed to match.
Black Walnut chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| celluloseoven-dry basis | 42 – 48 | 45 |
| hemicellulose | 18 – 25 | 22 |
| lignintypical hardwood syringyl/guaiacyl lignin | 21 – 26 | 24 |
| extractiveshigh in heartwood; includes juglone/tannins giving colour and decay resistance | 3 – 10 | 8 |
| ash | 0.3 – 0.9 | 0.5 |
| organic matrix | balance | — |
Black Walnut GREEN — frequently asked
What is Black Walnut GREEN used for?
Black Walnut GREEN is typically used for fine furniture, gunstocks, decorative veneer, cabinetry and musical instruments. In short: best-machining domestic hardwood; dark colour without staining; high cost, limited widths.
What is the tensile strength of Black Walnut GREEN?
Black Walnut GREEN has a typical tensile strength of 70 MPa (10.2 ksi) — stronger than 67% of natural material grades.
Is Black Walnut GREEN easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (60/100, worse than 89% of natural material grades). Cuts, turns and carves cleanly with low tool wear; use sharp carbide and moderate feed to avoid burnishing, and pre-bore for screws near ends.
Can Black Walnut GREEN be welded?
Not weldable — join by PVA/urea or epoxy adhesives and mechanical fasteners; walnut glues well with clean, freshly machined faces.
What surface finishes work on Black Walnut GREEN?
Sands to a fine surface and accepts oil, shellac, lacquer or waterborne finishes without stain; use UV-blocking topcoats since heartwood lightens and sapwood is often steamed or dyed to match.
Can Black Walnut GREEN be formed, bent or molded?
Steam bends only fairly (compression strap advised); rotary/slice veneering and CNC 3D shaping are the usual forming routes.
What is the maximum service temperature of Black Walnut GREEN?
Black Walnut GREEN is rated for continuous use to about 60°C (140 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Sources
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-282), Ch. 5 & 19 — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2021)
- Wood species mechanical property tables (Juglans nigra) — USDA FPL / TechLine (2019)
- ASTM D143 Standard Test Methods for Small Clear Specimens of Timber — ASTM International (2022)
- NHLA Rules for the Measurement and Inspection of Hardwood and Cypress — National Hardwood Lumber Association (2023)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.