PRETREATMENTS TO HASTEN THE DRYING OF

Four different pretreatments were tested to accelerate drying of Nothofagus fusca (Hook, f.) Oerst. heartwood - prefreezing, compression rolling, steaming at 100 °C, and soaking in hot water. Steaming improved the drying rate, but caused excessive fine internal checking in green wood; its use is restricted to treatment after predrying to about 40% mc. A short period of soaking in hot water at about 70 °C reduced the drying time substantially and was the only treatment suitable for green timber. Neither prefreezing nor compression rolling had any effect on drying rate and both caused excessive degrade.