EFFECT OF TIME AND TEMPERATURE OF THERMAL RECTIFICATION ON THE REDUCTION OF MAXIMUM SWELLING OF Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden WOOD

<p>Thermal rectification of wood was developed in the decade of 1940 and has been largely studied and produced in Europe. In Brazil, the research about this technique is still little and sparse, but it has gained attention nowadays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of time and temperature of rectification on the reduction of maximum swelling of <em>Eucalyptus grandis</em> wood. According to the results obtained it is possible to achieve reductions of about 50% on the maximum volumetric swelling of <em>Eucalyptus grandis</em> wood. Best results were obtained for 230°C of thermal rectification rather than 200°C. The factor temperature was more significant than time, once that there was no significant difference between the times used (1, 2 and 3 hours). There was no significant interaction between the factors time and temperature.