Development of a new method to measure moisture content in unseasoned veneer and lumber

An equation was derived governing the relationship between moisture content (MC) and surface temperature rise. This equation was used to calculate the specific heat for ovendry spruce wood and the calculated values ranging from 0.24 to 0.30 cal/g?C were in very close agreement with literature values calculated using the calorimetric method. Using basic heating principles, an apparatus was constructed to measure MC in unseasoned wood. The new method using this apparatus was first tested under laboratory conditions. The MC was measured for unseasoned veneer and lumber over an MC range of 30 to 200 percent. Moisture measurements for unseasoned hem-fir lumber were made at a line speed of 30 ft./min., while for unseasoned spruce and Douglas-fir veneer, measurements were made at line speeds ranging from 43 to 600 ft./min. In these experiments, very good relationships were found between the surface temperature rises of the heated wood materials and the measured MCs of these materials by the ovendry method. A mill trial using this new method (in which MC was measured in unseasoned Douglas-fir lumber over the MC range of 30 to 150%) also showed very good results. The laboratory and mill trial data indicate this new moisture measuring method has good potential for sorting unseasoned wood into MC ranges for more effective drying.

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