Temperature and moisture content behaviour in microwave heated wood prior to bending – Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans)

摘要

The Cooperative Research Centre for Wood Innovations, within the University of Melbourne, has developed an innovative wood bending technology which involves the use of microwave softening of wood prior to bending, an automated process of wood bending suitable for ‘‘mass production’’ and microwave drying of bent components. This paper discusses the microwave softening of wood required prior to bending, in particular, temperature and moisture distribution and transmission in cross-sections of microwave heated wood. Optimal heating parameters for softening wood using microwave irradiation were also investigated.