Rheological Behavior of Larch Timber during Conventional Drying

Abstract

The objective of this article was to investigate the dynamic stress and creep behavior of larch (Larix gmelinii) timber during the drying process, in order to provide theoretical descriptions for the timber check and distortion mechanism. Based on the laboratory conditions, larch timber of 50 mm thickness was dried using conventional technology. The changes in longitudinal, radial, and tangential directions of the wood samples were measured by a slicing method. The shrinkage strain, elastic strain, and viscoelastic strain were determined. The wood free shrinkage ratios under different drying temperatures were calculated. The wood dynamic transverse Modulas of Elasticity (MOE) under different drying temperature conditions was measured by a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) apparatus. The transverse-tangential elastic strain, viscoelastic creep strain, and mechanosorptive creep strain in the thickness direction were analyzed quantitatively by the polymer viscoelasticity theory and the mechanosorptive theory.

Keywords:

• Drying stress
• Elastic strain
• Larch
• Mechanosorptive creep strain
• Viscoelastic creep strain
• Wood drying