Dewatering of Juglans mandshurica Wood Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

Supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2), known for such features as good solubility and mass transfer properties, can be an efficient drying medium for various materials, such as wood, by filling the pore space and dissolving water in the cell cavity without altering the microstructure. In this study, two specimens of Juglans mandshurica wood with a length of 30 mm and 140 mm were subjected to ScCO2 dewatering under four different pressure and temperature conditions. The results showed that the drying rate is mainly influenced by pressure and temperature, with pressure having the more significant effect. Moreover, the efficiency of dewatering was not dependent on the sample length under the same conditions. The moisture content (MC) was the same along the longitudinal direction throughout both the surfaces and core of the wood. While there were no significant differences in dewatering rate between tangential and radial directions and lengths of samples, significant MC gradient differences were noted along wood in radial and tangential directions. During ScCO2 dewatering, the dominant water transfer occurred from the middle towards the end surfaces along the wood’s longitudinal directions. Furthermore, ScCO2 dewatering did not result in any shrinkage or significant drying stress, but it did cause some swelling in Juglans mandshurica wood.