Liquid water flow in Pinus radiata during drying

Abstract

End-sealed 60×60×250 mm3Pinus radiata pieces were dried at 65/37 °C (dry bulb/wet bulb temperature) and 4 ms-1 air speed to study various drying phenomena above fibre saturation point. While drying, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner captured a cross-cut density image every ten minutes. The density data was used to determine moisture content, rate of moisture loss from the core, wetline (boundary line of the free water region) depth and cross-cut area of the wood pieces. Repeating patterns were observed, which indicated that the cavity-size distribution of the wood pieces dictated fluctuations in the rate of moisture loss from the core and cross-cut area shrinkage during drying in the free water phase.