In recent years the need for seasoning in timber has become imperative due to the compulsion of the use of timber from short-rotation plantations.
The Wood Seasoning branch undertakes research work related to the drying behavior of wood, a study of shrinkage and wood-water relationship, and the evaluation of kiln drying schedules. Other priorities include investigation for suitability of Indian timber for industrial uses such as pencil making, wooden accessories used in cotton & jute mills, and shoe lasts as well as investigation of bending behavior of different timber species for making bentwood articles.
Wood, a renewable material, occupies a prime position as a raw material, Its versatile Nature has made it unique in many applications. In most of the uses of wood, the longevity of wood is very important.
Green Wood in growing trees contains considerable quantities of water/moisture. Most of this moisture has to be removed to obtain satisfactory performance from the wood in use. Freshly felled wood contains moisture roughly 100 percent based on the oven-dry weight of the wood.
A well-seasoned piece of wood should on the other hand contain only 10 to 12 percent moisture. An important object of seasoning is to dry the timber to the equilibrium moisture content before use, so that gross dimensional changes through shrinkage, which inevitably occurs in green wood as it tends to attain equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere, are eliminated.