DIMENSIONAL STABILITY OF BEECH BLANKS IN THE CONTACT DRYING PROCESS
Keywords:
contact drying; beech blanks; press drying; dimensional stabilityAbstract
Timber drying is a crucial process for a wide range of applications, including machining, processing, and final use. It enhances dimensional stability and improves mechanical and physical properties, as well as biological properties such as resistance to mould and fungal growth. The drying process is influenced by various factors, with primary objectives typically focused on minimising costs, reducing drying time, and achieving acceptable drying quality. Achieving an optimal balance between these objectives requires compromises among the rapid drying techniques. Contact drying has gained attention as a potential solution for speeding up the process. The application of contact drying, utilising heated plates at a temperature of 160°C, is investigated in the study. Three specific pressure levels were examined: 1.0 MPa, 1.4 MPa and 1.8 MPa. The results indicated a substantial increase in sample density during contact drying, with pressure playing a significant role in this effect. Additionally, the variation in sample thickness was more pronounced in tangential samples. Across both radial and tangential orientations, samples subjected to the contact drying method exhibited greater dimensional stability compared to those dried by convection.
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