An assessment of the use of characteristic drying curves for the high-temperature drying of softwood timber

An explicit assessment has been carried out, using the experimental data of Pang (1994), of the applicability of the concept of a characteristic dryin g curve to the drying of Pinus radiata softwood timber. This concept has be en used recently by Pang and Keey (1994) and Nijdam and Keey (1996) when in vestigating the expected drying behaviour of a complete stack of timber, Th e concept appears to be applicable over the range of wet-bulb depressions w hich are common inside the stacks of timber, supporting its use in kiln-wid e analysis of drying behaviour.