Dry kiln corrosion: a survey of the wood drying industry

A survey to determine the occurrence of dry kiln corrosion and deterioration was conducted through 10 dry kiln associations. In general, the occurrence of significant kiln corrosion damage was found to be pervasive and widespread throughout several regions of the United States and Canada. Of the firms polled, 517 (65%) responded to this survey. Seventy-three percent of the firms with conventional kilns, 85 percent with high-temperature kilns, 87 percent with dehumidification kilns, and 83 percent with predryers reported significant damage caused by metal corrosion of the steel or aluminum in the kiln structure. The extent of the corrosion problem varied by association membership. Reported damage due to metal corrosion, for instance, ranged from a high of 87 percent of the firms belonging to the Tennessee Valley Dry Kiln Association to a low of 33 percent of the firms belonging to the Ohio Valley Lumber Drying Association. Concrete floors in kiln structures were found to be highly susceptible to deterioration at responding firms, with 60 percent of conventional kilns, 88 percent of high-temperature kilns, 68 percent of dehumidification kilns, and 40 percent of predryers showing signs of deterioration, most commonly flaking of the concrete surface. The wood type most commonly being dried by firms reporting heavy kiln corrosion or kiln damage was oak (Quercus sp.).

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