Wood is a naturally hygroscopic material, meaning it naturally gains and losses water depending on the surrounding relative humidity. When wood is no longer actively gaining or losing water it has reached its Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC).
Humidity Control is important throughout the whole wood processing journey. Fresh, green wood, naturally has a high moisture content separated into two different kinds. Free water is that water which is held in the pores and vessels to the wood at the time of cutting. Bound water is the water that to held in the cell walls. When the free water of a piece of wood has been lost, it has reached it’s Fibre Saturation Point (FSP), which differs between tree species. Drying wood past this point results in strengthening, but also in wood shrinkage.
Ideally wood should be dried to with 2% EMC of it’s final destination to ensure strength and prevent post-processing warping.
The controlled balance of slow drying to ensure product quality and reliability of results requires a flexible humidity control solution which can handle the different stages of wood processing. Our friends at Neptronic have put together an excellent video outlining the humidity control needs through the whole wood treatment process and how the SKV unit can help meet them across the whole building and process.
A lack of humidity control can result in;
- Dimensional changes in processed wood
- Equipment failure
- Increased product rejects and wastage
- Reduced structural integrity of final products
- Mould penetration of final product
- Increased risk of deterioration through pathological penetration
To learn more about how humidity can support your wood processing plant, or other industrial of commercial needs, call 01372571200 or email info@humiditysolutions.co.uk to talk to one of our experts.
