Drying stress relaxation of wood subjected to microwave radiation

Abstract

An effective and rapid drying stress relieving technique was developed using microwave conditioning. The process was analyzed by measuring the stress factor and moisture content gradient through the thickness of the board. The experiments showed that the drying quality of E. urophylla x E. tereticornis was improved after microwave conditioning during the wood drying process. The drying stress relaxation increased with the duration of the microwave radiation. Stress and moisture content gradient through the thickness of the board were compared and are discussed in this report.