The Influence of Prefreezing and Cold Water Extraction on the Shrinkage of Wood

Prefreezing with dry ice reduced the radial shrinkage of 4/4 black walnut 20 percent, and tangential shrinkage about 10 percent. These reductions developed almost entirely after average moisture content dropped below the fiber saturation point. There was no significant difference in the drying rate and strain patterns of prefrozen and control boards. Prefreezing at -25?C. did not have a significant effect on the shrinkage of 4/4 walnut boards, however, prefreezing at this temperature after cold water extraction significantly reduced the shrinkage of small samples of walnut, redwood, madrone, white oak, and tanoak. This was true despite the fact that for three of these four species prefreezing alone did not reduce shrinkage.

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