Moisture-content based on drying schedule of seven Indonesian woods species

Abstract

A moisture-content based on drying schedule provides general guidance in determining the changes in temperature and humidity which is based on the average moisture content level of the wood being dried. The research aims to obtain a basic drying schedule for seven wood species based on their drying characteristics. The research is initiated by drying all these species at a temperature of 100 °C. The criterion used is the worst defect occurred in each wood such as end and surface, honeycomb defects, and deformation on the width of the wood. The result shows that each wood species has a different response to high temperature drying. The best drying properties is observed in Red Meranti wood (Parashorea smythiesii) and Jaha wood (Terminalia arborea). In contrary, Kiacret (Spathodea campanulata) and Kipasang (Prunus javanica) have the worst drying properties. Based on their drying properties, all of the species can be grouped into 4 drying schedules.