An Investigation of Drying Technologies for Small Masson Pine Logs

Abstract Small-diameter Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) logs with a length of 800 mm and a diameter ranging from 108 to 132 mm were dried with a mild schedule in a laboratory dryer. The drying experiments were done using logs with or without bark and with or without a longitudinal cut. The reduction in moisture content over time was monitored by a resistance-type moisture meter. The results indicated that small-diameter Masson pine logs can be dried by the proposed schedule successfully. Debarking reduced drying times; however, more checks on the log surfaces were detected. Making a longitudinal cut in logs helped to increase the drying rate and reduce drying stresses.