Drying rate and wood quality of Ateleia glazioviana Baill.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of sawn pieces of Ateleia glazioviana wood subjected to free-air and kiln drying, in order to gain knowledge about the use of the species. The study was carried out at the Forest Products Laboratory (LPF) at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM). Specimens of the species’ wood were randomly selected and placed in a forced air circulation oven with a temperature of 60 °C and dried in the open air, where the material was placed side by side on a structure with a “Brasilite” cover. The variables evaluated were moisture content, drying rate and assessment of defects such as cracking and warping. The drying rate for the pieces in an oven varied from 12.65 (g/cm²h)103 to stabilization at 0.11 (g/cm²h)103 and an average rate of 1.87 (g/cm²h)103. The average outdoor drying rate was 0.14 (g/cm²h)103, starting at 1.20 (g/cm²h)103 and ending at 0.01 (g/cm²h)103. In the kiln-drying and outdoor-drying treatments, defects such as cracks on the surface of the pieces and warping were observed, except for curling, in which the pieces dried outdoors did not show this defect. In general, the wood of A. glazioviana was not very susceptible to defects, and there were no pieces with collapse or other defects that would make it unfeasible to use.