CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WOOD DRYING PROCESS COMPLETED IN THE SAWMILLS IN THE CITY OF SINOP, MATO GROSSO

Drying is the first and most important step in the process of wood industrialization and it aims to provide material with suitable characteristics for use. This operation must be planned and conducted the right way, because it determines the final product quality. This study aimed to characterize the drying process of wood made in sawmills in the city of Sinop, Mato Grosso, through qualitative and quantitative parameters, and identify common aspects and possible failures in the process. For this, data were collected through interviews in twelve sawmills in order to obtain information on the major species submitted to the drying process, drying methods, methods of stacking, consumer markets, methods of control of moisture content, major errors found in the drying yard or in the form of stacking, among others. The results show that Erisma uncinatum (cedrinho) and Vochysia sp. (cambará) are the main species subject to drying and marketed, especially in southern and southeastern Brazil. There were several flaws in the process as absence drying methods employing conventional chambers, lack of precise methods of controlling the final moisture content, improper stacking unaligned battens and drying patios with poor distribution of primary and secondary accesses.