Standard Guide for Moisture Conditioning of Wood and Wood-Base Materials

1.1 This guide covers standard procedures for conditioning and equilibrating wood and wood-base materials to constant moisture content. The procedures apply to solid wood, wood-base fiber and particulate materials and panels, and wood products containing adhesives. They are intended for use in research and development activities, testing laboratories, quality control, and for all other classes of producers and users. This guide includes background material on the importance of moisture content control, important definitions and technical data, possible types of apparatus, procedures, and the importance of conditioning time. Users should recognize that the necessary degree of precision and bias varies with the intentions of the users. Some research and testing, for example, might require very close control of moisture content, whereas control in an industrial storage facility might not require such close control. This guide offers procedures that include these different requirements.

1.2 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the procedure section, Section 6, of this guide. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.