BRAZIL

See also:

• WOOD, ANTHONY A2 (1632-1695)
• WOOD, JOHN GEORGE (1827—1889)
• WOOD, MRS HENRY [ELLEN] (1814—1887)
• WOOD, SEARLES VALENTINE (1798—188o)

WOOD  , a dye wood of commercial importance, obtained from the West Indies and South America, belonging to the genera Caesalpinia and Peltophorum of the natural order Leguminosae . There are several woods of the kind, commercially distinguished as Brazil wood, Nicaragua or Peach wood, Pernambuco wood and Lima wood, each of which has a different commercialvalue, although the tinctorialprincipletheyyield is similar . Commercial Brazil wood is imported for the use of dyers in billets of large size, and is a dense compact wood of a reddish brown colour, rather bright when freshly cut, but becoming dull on exposure . The colouring-matter of Brazil wood, brazilin, C16H1405, crystallizes with 12 H2O, and is freely soluble in water; it is extracted for use by simple infusion or decoction of the coarsely-powdered wood . When freshly prepared the extract is of a yellowish tint; but by contact with the air, or the addition of an alkaline solution, it develops a brick-red colour . This is due to the formation of brazilein, C16H1205•H2O, which is the colouring matter used by the dyer . Brazilin crystallizes in hexagonal amber yellow crystals, which are soluble in water and alcohol . The solution when free of oxygen is colourless, but on the access of air it assumes first a yellow and thereafter a reddish yellow colour . With soda-ley it takes a brilliant deep carmine tint, which colour may be discharged by heating in a closed vessel with zinc dust, in which condition the solution is excessively sensitive to oxygen, the slightest exposure to air immediately giving a deep carmine . With tin mordants Brazil wood gives brilliant but fugitive steam reds in calico-printing; but on account of the loose nature of its dyes it is seldom used except as an adjunct to other colours . It is used to form lakes which are employed in tinting papers, staining paper-hangings, and for various other decorative purposes .