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Heating times for round and rectangular cross sections of wood in steam

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Heat sterilization of wood in various forms is currently receiving attention as a means of killing insects or pathogens to prevent their transfer from one region of the world to another in trade. One concern is the amount of time required to heat wood of various cross-sectional sizes and configurations to a temperature that will kill the insects or pathogens. Estimation of heating time depends on many variables. One estimation method uses heat conduction equations. This report reviews heat conduction equations for round and rectangular cross sections of wood and their validity through experimental data from the literature and experiments. The heat conduction equations used in this analysis apply only for steam as the heating medium—the use of dry heat extends heating times beyond the estimates provided by the heat conduction equations. Tables are given for the time required to heat the center of cross sections of various dimensions to various temperatures at different heating temperatures in steam.

Keywords

Heat sterilization, import/export lumber

Citation

Simpson, William T. 2001. Heating times for round and rectangular cross sections of wood in steam. Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL-GTR-130. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 103 p.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/9726