PRE-TREATMENTS EFFECTS ON Hovenia dulcis Thunb. WOOD DRYING RATE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments on drying rate of uva-do-jap o wood (Hovenia dulcis Thunb.). For this, samples of wood species concerned with dimensions of 2,0 x 10,0 x 20,0 cm (E x L x C), were subjected to pre-treatment of soaking in hot water and freezing. The pre- treatments of heating and freezing were conducted in a thermal tank at 85oC and a freezer at -18oC, respectively, where the samples remained for 12 and 24 hours for both treatments. After the pre-treatments, the wood samples were dried in an electric oven at temperatures of 60 and 90°C until the final moisture content. Thedrying rate was significantly influenced by pre-treatments, drying temperature and their duration of them. This rate presented a different behavior according to the duration of treatment: the warning was higher with 12hours whereas the freezing, with 24 hours, was more evident. The increasing duration and temperature observed showed that the tendency of the drying rate is to increase.