Improving of Maintenance of Humidifying System in Conventional Wood Kiln Dryers

During wood drying, the formation of limescale deposits on conventional drying kiln components frequently causes difficulties, especially on nozzles for dispersion of water mist, as a result of the use of “hard water” and technologically unprepared water. Frequently inadequate cleaners for the removal of limescale are used, which have harmful effects on the equipment and people. In order to reduce costs incurred due to the use of inadequate cleaners for the removal of limescale and to eliminate potentially harmful effects on the health of employees, the use of citric acid has been researched in procedures of removal of limescale from the moisturizer nozzles of the conventional drying kilns. Used and unused metal moisturizer nozzles of the conventional drying kilns have been treated with different concentrations of water solution of citric acid at ambient temperature and in boiled state for 5 and 10 minutes. It has been determined that the water solution of citric acid at ambient temperature does not give positive results, while the treatment of nozzles in the boiled water solution of citric acid gives very good results already at minimum concentration of citric acid, both for the cleaning of limescale and for the cleaning of corrosion, resulting in fully renewed functionality of nozzles. No adverse effects of citric acid on the body of metal nozzles have been recorded.