Study on Drying Characteristic of Chinese Fir and Poplar Plantation Wood

The drying characteristic was studied for plantation wood of Chinese fir and poplar, which are typical plantation wood of southern and northern part of China, respectively. Through 100-degree-method the drying characteristic and basic drying condition were gotten, then drying schedule was developed for practical drying, the results showed that the drying schedule is suitable for Chinese fir and poplar plantation lumber, but shrinkage is large. The recommendation was made that enough dead weight is needed to decrease shrinkage in drying process. The drying quality of the two species of lumber is good in conventional drying method.     

Thermal diffusion in Masson pine wood

In order to analyze the effects of the temperature gradient on moisture movement during the highly intensive microwave-vacuum drying, thermal diffusion of Masson pine wood was studied. Internal distribution of temperature and moisture in Masson pine samples sealed by epoxy resin and aluminum foil was measured, the magnitude of thermal diffusion was calculated and the influencing factors of thermal diffusion were discussed. Results showed that with the transfer of moisture toward the low temperature in wood, opposite temperature and moisture gradient occurred. The initial moisture content （MC）, temperature and time are important factors affecting this process; the thermal diffusion is in proportion to wood temperature, its initial moisture and time. The temperature and distance from hot surface is strongly linearly correlated, and the relationship between MCs at different locations and distance from the hot end surface changes from logarithmically form to exponentially form with the increase in experimental time.     

Effect of steam pretreatment on wood moisture content and characteristics of vacuum drying

The effects of high temperature steam pretreatment on the change in wood moisture content (MC) and characteristics of vacuum drying were investigated in this study. Poplar and manchurian walnut woods were pretreated with high temperature steam at 100°C and 140°C, prior to vacuum drying. A comparison of the characteristics of vacuum drying between steam pretreated wood and untreated wood was carried out. The results show that during steam pretreatment, the MC of wood decreased within a few hours. The reduction of MC varied with the temperature; the higher the temperature, the faster the MC dropped. During the vacuum drying stage, the rates of drying of pretreated samples were higher than those of untreated samples when MC was below the fiber saturation point. Furthermore, the total drying time of samples treated at a steam temperature of 140°C was lower than that of untreated samples. Therefore, a vacuum procedure after steam pretreatment can effectively shorten the drying time when drying wood.     

Studies on Measurement of Moisture Content by X-ray Scanning Method

In order to explore the feasibility of using X-ray to measure moisture content in the drying process and have a further study on the effect of precision of moisture content when scanning through different grain directions,X-ray scanning method and weighting method were used to measure average moisture content of Cunninghamia lanceolata during hot air drying.The results show that the moisture content values of two methods were very close to one another,the determination coefficients of both were highly correlated with a value over 0.99,and the absolute deviation was below 2%;when scanning along radial direction and longitudinal direction,the precisions of average moisture content were higher than that of the tangential direction,but the deviation can be negligible in the actual measurement;in the practical application,the effect of grain direction on precision of moisture content measurement could not be taken into account when using X-ray to measure the moisture distribution of wood.     

STEAMING-HIGH TEMPERATURE DRYING OF LARCH LUMBER

A series of drying tests on Larch Lumber and a theoretical analysis led to the follow-ing conclusions:1.Steaming pretreatment is a very powerful means to decrease defects induced by the drying processand increases the drying velocity of the lumber.2.The steaming—high一temperature drying schedule had resulted in fast drying and good quality ofthe dried lumber.     

Study on Wood Drying Properties under Vacuum-floating Pressure

Using Masson pine as specimens, when drying mediums are overheated steam and hot-air respectively, preheating characteristics of wood under vacuum-floating pressure drying are discussed by measurement of internal temperature field and variation of moisture content during period of preheating. The relationship between drying medium conditions and drying rate of wood reveals that, firstly, compared with process of air-drying, time needed to be preheated under vacuum-floating decreased dramatically, meanwhile, the magnitude of condensation on the surface is relatively larger. Secondly, drying rate of wood under vacuum-floating pressure increases coupled with temperature of medium, reduction of absolute pressure, and raise of fluctuation rate of pressure. The sequence of factors contribution to drying rate is listed as following: temperature of medium (t) > fluctuation rate of pressure (f)> absolute pressure (p).     

Microwave vacuum drying characteristics of Pinus massoniana wood

Microwave-vacuum (MV) drying characteristics of plantation Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) were studied experimen-tally for various levels of microwave radiation time, initial moisture content (MC), vacuum level and wood thickness. The results show that the process of MV drying for wood can be significantly divided into a short accelerating rate drying period, a long constant rate drying period and falling rate drying period, and the second drying period can extend to levels of mean MC below the fiber satu-r...     

Coating performance on glutaraldehyde-modified wood

Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.) panels were modified with glutaraldehyde(GA) to various weight percent gains and subsequently coated with several commercial coatings. The drying rate and adhesion of the coatings on the modified wood were measured; the coated/modified woods were exposed outdoors to analyze how the wood modifications influence the coating deterioration. The results showed that GA modification caused an increase in the drying rate of the waterborne coatings, but had no influence on drying of tested solvent-borne coatings. GAmodification did not change the dry adhesion but reduced the wood strength in a pull-off test. Wet adhesion of waterborne coatings was improved, while that of the solvent-borne coatings tended to be somewhat reduced. During 22 months of outdoor weathering, the coated/modified samples exhibited lower moisture content than the coated/unmodified samples, but GA modification didn't contribute a substantially synergistic effect with surface coatings on resistance to weathering.     

Analysis of moisture diffusivity of larch timber during convective drying condition by using Crank＇s method and Dincer＇s method

Two analytical procedures （Crank＇s method and Dincer＇s method） for porous solid materials were reevaluated and used to determine moisture diffusion coefficients and moisture transfer coefficients for larch lumber subjected to drying. A diffusion-like equation was used to describe drying process data. The lumber was idealized in the modeling as infinite plates. The moisture transport process inside the board was assumed to be one-dimensional. The macroscopic drying kinetics curves of larch timber at particular conditions were determined experimentally. Based on these data, calculation for both the moisture diffusion coefficients and moisture transfer coefficients by the Dincer＇s analytical procedure were made. The dynamic moisture diffusion coefficients by the traditional Crank＇s method were calculated. In general, diffusion coefficients calculated by the Dincer＇s method were all higher than those by Crank＇s method. These results could be due to the differences between two analytical methods and also different characteristics between solid moisture diffusion process and heat transfer process. Therefore the analysis and solution procedures of moisture diffusion differential equations need to be adapted in the future. With drying temperature＇s increasing moisture diffusion coefficient （D） and moisture transfer coefficient （k） increases accordingly. Also the relationships between diffusion coefficients and temperature as well as material moisture contents were analyzed by using Arrhenius equation and bound water transport theory.     

Theoretical modeling of the effects of temperature and moisture content on the acoustic velocity of Pinus resinosa wood

To investigate the effects of temperature and moisture content(MC) on acoustic wave velocity(AWV)in wood,the relationships between wood temperature,MC,and AWV were theoretically analyzed.According to the theoretical propagation characteristics of the acoustic waves in the wood mixture and the differences in velocity among various media(including ice,water,pure wood or oven-dried wood),theoretical relationships of temperature,MC,and AWV were established,assuming that the samples in question were composed of a simple mixture of wood and water or of wood and ice.Using the theoretical model,the phase transition of AWV in green wood near the freezing point(as derived from previous experimental results) was plausibly described.By comparative analysis between theoretical and experimental models for American red pine(Pinus resinosa) samples,it was established that the theoretically predicted AWV values matched the experiment results when the temperature of the wood was below the freezing point of water,with an averageprediction error of 1.66%.The theoretically predicted AWV increased quickly in green wood as temperature decreased and changed suddenly near 0 °C,consistent with the experimental observations.The prediction error of the model was relatively large when the temperature of the wood was above the freezing point,probably due to an overestimation of the effect of the liquid water content on the acoustic velocity and the limited variables of the model.The high correlation between the predicted and measured acoustic velocity values in frozen wood samples revealed the mechanisms of temperature,MC,and water status and how these affected the wood(particularly its acoustic velocity below freezing point of water).This result also verified the reliability of a previous experimental model used to adjust for the effect of temperature during field testing of trees.     

Comparison of Drying Rate and Energy Consumption between Vacuum and Ambient Pressure Drying for Chinese Fir

In this work, Chinese fir samples with a size of 400 mm (L) by 50 mm (W) 30 mm (H) weretaken as specimens, and drying rate and energy consumption were compared under the conditions, inwhich the absolute pressure was 0.02 , 0.04 , 0.06 and 0.10 MPa, respectively, and the temperature was80 oC. The results showed that, when the moisture content (MC) of the samples was above fibersaturation point (FSP), the vacuum drying rate was 0.96-1.24 times as high as the ambient pressuredrying rate. However, when it was b...     

Productive test of a newly drying technology of veneer： intermittent-contact drying of veneer with flexible screen belt

A newly drying technology, intermittent-contact drying of veneer with flexible screen belt (ICD-fbs), was invented and used in poplar veneer drying. Productive test was carried out for validating the practical use of this drying method. The test result shows that to dispose flexible screen belts on the two sides of hot board could help steam discharge remarkably. The veneer dried using ICD-fsb method had smooth and level surface, less deformation and warping, even moisture content, and high utilization rate. The time for opening hot board to discharge steam,which, early or late, is a key to obtain good drying result, was determined at the time when the core‘s temperature of veneer reaches 100℃ (vaporization). Using ICD-fsb method, the shrinking rates in tangent of veneer were from 1.90% to 2.26% for veneer of 0.4 mm in thickness,2.49% to 4.50% for veneer of 1 mm in thickness and 1.34% to 3.30% for veneer of 1.7 mm in thickness, which are much lower than the results obtained by other drying methods. The method of ICD-fsb offers a reliable technological guarantee for solving the deformation problem of veneer drying, especially the deformation of wood from quick-growing plantation.     

Basic density,extractive content and moisture sorption properties of Pinus pinaster wood infected with the pinewood nematode,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

The pinewood nematode(PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become one of the most severe threats to pine forest worldwide. Nematodes, migrating through resin canals and feeding on the living cells, induce rapid metabolic changes in ray parenchyma cells, create cavitation areas, decrease xylem water content and oleoresin exudation, and cause necrosis of parenchyma and cambial cells. This study focused on the impact of PWN infection on technological parameters of wood and evaluated the impact of anatomic and biochemical incidences of tree defense reactions on basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties of Pinus pinaster wood.Samples of infected and uninfected wood were studied.The presence of nematodes reduced wood basic density by2 % and decreased the total content of extractives in infected wood as compared with uninfected(5.98 and8.90 % of dry wood mass, respectively). Extractives in infected trees had inverse distribution along the trunk as compared with uninfected trees. The adsorption isotherms for infected and uninfected wood had similar positioning.We recorded differences(some statistically significant) in the equilibrium moisture content of infected and uninfected wood under varying environmental conditions. Despite the verified differences in wood basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties, the overall conclusion is that the PWN had a slight impact on these characteristics of wood.     

Effect of moisture on physical parameters of timber from Turkey oak (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus cerris</Emphasis> L.) coppice in Central Italy

This study aims to investigate wood density at different levels of moisture, basic density and shrinkage of timber from Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) coppice forests growing in Central Italy. We also studied the variability in density in the trees within and among sites. Density shows no significant statistical differences in the tested population. A higher variability in the shrinkage than in the density was found. Wood moisture is referred to as dry mass and fresh mass, which is related to many performance characteristics of wood, i.e., energy production. Trends in moisture and water content were studied because these physical parameters play an important role in the specific area of firewood which requires an accurate estimation of mass, volume and energy content. This work is a contribution to improve xylo-energy estimates of small and medium forestry issues.     

杉木冷冻干燥材和气干材液体浸注性的比较研究

A comparative study was conducted on liquid penetration of the freeze-drying and air-drying sapwood and heartwood lumber of plantation Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata）. The maximum amount of dyeing solution uptake by the capillary rise method was used to evaluate the liquid penetration properties of the treated wood. The pit aspiration ratio was determined by semithin section method. Changes in wood microstructure were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that compared with air drying, the freeze drying had a significant effect on liquid penetration of sapwood and heartwood of Chinese fir. The liquid penetration of sapwood is significantly higher than that of the heartwood for both drying treatments. Low pit aspiration ratio and cracks of pits membrane of some bordered pits are the main reasons for increasing liquid penetration after freeze drying treatment.     

Creep of Chinese fir wood treated by different reagents

In order to investigate the effect of different reagents on changes of the crystalline region and amorphous region (Matrix) in wood cell walls, the creep behavior of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) wood treated with dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) and diethyl amine, sulfur dioxide and dimethyl sulfoxide mixture (1)EA-SO2-DMSO), and the untreated wood at oven-dried, air-dry and water-saturated states during adsorption and desorption processes were all examined in air or in water. The measurements were carded out at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The load is constant with 62 g or 0.607 6 N. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The instantaneous compliance J0 and the creep compliance J of specimens decrystallized with DEA-SO2-DMSO solution were bigger than those of DMSO swollen wood, and the latter was still much bigger than those of untreated wood. 2) For untreated wood, J0 and J increased with equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of wood, but there was not apparent correlation between wood EMC and the relative compliance. 3) Specimens treated with DMSO and DEA-SO2-DMSO mixture were recrystallized after immersion in water, and the degree ofrecrystallization of the former was larger. 4) For oven-dried specimens, the creep compliances in water were bigger than those in air. But for fiber-saturated and water-saturated specimens they were nearly equivalent to each other.     

The Fractal Nature of Wood Revealed by Drying

An experiment on wood drying at different temperatures was conducted to show the fractal nature of the pore space within wood. Cubic blocks made from ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) wood were used. Samples were dried in oven at the temperature of 20, 40, 60 and 100 ℃, respectively. All the drying procedures lasted four hours. The mass was weighed and the dimensions were measured immediately for each sample when every procedure of drying ended. The fractal dimensions of the samples were obtained from the measurement. Results showed that the fractal dimensions increased with the drying temperature from 20℃ to 60℃ and the fractal dimensions keep a constant in the main. Results from different species and for different temperatures suggested thefractal dimension was a new parameter to characterize the porosity of wood.     

Stress relaxation of chemically treated wood during processes of temperature elevation and decline

In order to clarify the effect of drying on structural changes of DMSO swell treated and DEA-SO2-DMSO decrystallization treated Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolate） wood, the stress relaxation of treated oven-dry specimens during the processes of temperature elevation and reduction and that of treated wet specimens at constant temperature were determined. A stress decrease process and a stress increase process were observed in all stress ratio curves of wood during the processes of decreasing temperature. Untreated wood, during the process of temperature reduction under higher initial temperature conditions and during the process of temperature elevation, has a larger stress decrease than treated woods. In a wet state this trend is reversed. It indicated that the drying set made treated woods have a smaller increase in fluidity of wood constituents with increasing temperature. Some bonding between decrystallization reagents and wood molecules may occur.     

The effect of high-pressure and high-temperature drying treatments on the deresination ratio of Pinus massoniana

This study investigated the possibility of using high-temperature and high-pressure schedules to treat Pinus massoniana wood in order to reduce its oil content. We discuss the effect of drying temperature, absolute pressure and the holding time on the deresination ratio in P. massoniana wood and establish a model for the deresination ratio as a function of drying temperature, absolute pressure and holding time. The results show that the deresination ratio increased from 7.14% to 87.04% when the temperature increased from 150 to 200℃, the absolute pressure from 0.1 to 0.6 MPa and the holding time from 1 to 3 h. The optimal model for the deresination ratio (Y) with drying temperature (t), absolute pressure (p) and holding time (τ) is: Y = 0.284t + 113.424p + 3.518τ - 42.486, with a coefficient of determination (R2 ) of 0.930. Compared with drying temperature and holding time, absolute pressure plays the more significant role in the deresination process. This study could provide a theoretical basis to the practical production of P. massoniana wood.     

Vacuum press drying studies on two fast-growing Indian wood species

Two fast-growing Indian species, Melia composita Benth. and Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm., which have different sets of physical properties, were dried together in a vacuum press dryer(VPD) under two drying conditions,i.e., above boiling point(ABP) and below boiling point(BBP). The ABP and BBP conditions were maintained by keeping the temperature constant at 75 ℃ and maintaining two pressure levels: 300 mm of Hg(ABP) and 450 mm of Hg(BBP). In order to understand pressure conditions at the core during vacuum drying, a cylindrical brass pipe was inserted in both wood cores and attached with pressure gauges placed outside of the VPD. The results indicate that the Melia wood core attained equilibrium pressure immediately with the pressure of VPD, while Eucalyptus attained it very slowly, reaching equilibrium at later stages of drying when cracks and checks advanced to the core.The drying rate was higher for Melia than Eucalyptus under both drying conditions. The drying rate of Melia(ABP) was higher than Melia(BBP), however, the drying rate for Eucalyptus(ABP) was not significantly different from the BBP drying rate.