Effects of temperature, particle size, and air humidity on sensibility of typical high-energetic explosives

The production and utilization of high-energetic explosives often pose a range of safety hazards,with sensitivity being a key factor in evaluating these risks.To investigate how temperature,particle size,and air humidity affect the responsiveness of commonly used high-energetic explosives,a series of BAM(Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung)impact and friction sensitivity tests were carried out to determine the critical impact energy and critical load pressure of four representative high-energetic explosives(RDX,HMX,PETN and CL-20)under different temperatures,particle sizes,and air humidity conditions.The experimental findings facilitated an examination of temperature and particle size affecting the sensitivity of high-energetic explosives,along with an assessment of the influence of air humidity on sensitivity testing.The results clearly indicate that high-energetic explosives display a substantial decline in critical reaction energy when subjected to micrometre-sized particles and an air humidity level of 45%at a temperature of 90℃.Furthermore,it was noted that the critical reaction energy of high-energetic explosives diminishes with an increase in temperature within 25℃−90℃.In the same vein,as the particle sizes of high-energetic explosives increase,so does the critical reaction energy for micrometre-sized particles.High air humidity significantly affects the sensitivity testing of high-energetic explosives,emphasizing the importance of refraining from conducting sensitivity tests in such conditions.

Impacts of high temperature,relative air humidity,and vapor pressure deficit on the seed set of contrasting maize genotypes during flowering

Heat stress is a major constraint to current and future maize production at the global scale.Male and female reproductive organs both play major roles in increasing seed set under heat stress at flowering,but their relative contributions to seed set are unclear.In this study,a 2-year field experiment including three sowing dates in each year and 20 inbred lines was conducted.Seed set,kernel number per ear,and grain yield were all reduced by more than 80%in the third sowing dates compared to the first sowing dates.Pollen viability,silk emergence ratio,and anthesis-silking interval were the key determinants of seed set under heat stress;and their correlation coefficients were 0.89^(***),0.65^(***),and-0.72^(***),respectively.Vapor pressure deficit(VPD)and relative air humidity(RH)both had significant correlations with pollen viability and the silk emergence ratio.High RH can alleviate the impacts of heat on maize seed set by maintaining high pollen viability and a high silk emergence ratio.Under a warming climate from 2020 to 2050,VPD will decrease due to the increased RH.Based on their pollen viability and silk emergence ratios,the 20 genotypes fell into four different groups.The group with high pollen viability and a high silk emergence ratio performed better under heat stress,and their performance can be further improved by combining the improved flowering pattern traits.

Effects of Land Cover on Soil Temperature,Humidity and Moisture in Phoebe bournei Forest

Under the condition of high temperature, the effects of five cover patterns （clean tillage, film mulching, weed covering, branches and leaves covering and growing grass covering） on soil properties in young Phoebe boumei forest were in- vestigated. The results showed that the five cover patterns all showed significant ef- fects on soil properties in young Phoebe bournei forest under the condition of high temperature. Land cover increased land temperature in Phoebe boumei forest. Un- der the film mulching, the land temperature was increased most rapidly with the largest increment. However, weed covering, branches and leaves covering and growing grass covering decreased land temperature. Among them, growing grass covering showed the best cooling effect. The film mulching, weed covering, branch- es and leaves covering and growing grass covering all increased land humidity. The film mulching showed the best moisture-preserving effect in the early period, but in the late period, the humidity in the film mulching treatment group was lower than that in the clean tillage treatment group. Among the five mulching patterns, moisture loss in the film mulching treatment group was slowest and least, followed by those in the weed covering and branches and leaves covering treatment groups, and moisture loss in the growing grass covering treatment group was fastest and most.

Study on Temperature and Humidity of Plastic Greenhouse under Different Ventilation Modes in the Yangtze-Huai Region in Hot Season

In order to analyze the ventilation and cooling performance of single-tunnel plastic greenhouse in Yangtze-Huai region, the effects of two different ventilation modes （side window, side window＋roof window） on the temperature and humidity of plastic greenhouse were studied. The results showed that the ventilation mode of opening side window and roof window could effectively reduce the temperature and humidity at the plant canopy height, which was conducive to the growth of plant in greenhouse.

Effects of the extrusion parameters on microstructure,texture and room temperature mechanical properties of extruded Mg-2.49Nd-1.82Gd-0.2Zn-0.2Zr alloy

Microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of the extruded Mg-2.49Nd-1.82Gd-0.2Zn-0.2Zr alloy were investigated at different extrusion temperatures(260 and 320℃),extrusion ratios(10:1,15:1,and 30:1),and extrusion speeds(3 and 6 mm/s).The experimental results exhibited that the grain sizes after extrusion were much finer than that of the homogenized alloy,and the second phase showed streamline distribution along the extrusion direction(ED).With extrusion temperature increased from 260 to 320℃,the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of alloys changed slightly.The dynamic recrystallization(DRX)degree and grain sizes enhanced as the extrusion ratio increased from 10:1 to 30:1,and the strength gradually decreased but elongation(EL)increased.With the extrusion speed increased from 3 to 6 mm/s,the grain sizes and DRX degree increased significantly,and the samples presented the typical<2111>-<1123>rare-earth(RE)textures.The alloy extruded at 260℃ with extrusion ratio of 10:1 and extrusion speed of 3 mm/s showed the tensile yield strength(TYS)of 213 MPa and EL of 30.6%.After quantitatively analyzing the contribution of strengthening mechanisms,it was found that the grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening played major roles among strengthening contributions.These results provide some guidelines for enlarging the industrial application of extruded Mg-RE alloy.

Novel Methodologies for Preventing Crack Propagation in Steel Gas Pipelines Considering the Temperature Effect

Using the software ANSYS-19.2/Explicit Dynamics,this study performedfinite-element modeling of the large-diameter steel pipeline cross-section for the Beineu-Bozoy-Shymkent gas pipeline with a non-through straight crack,strengthened by steel wire wrapping.The effects of the thread tensile force of the steel winding in the form of single rings at the crack edges and the wires with different winding diameters and pitches were also studied.The results showed that the strengthening was preferably executed at a minimum value of the thread tensile force,which was 6.4%more effective than that at its maximum value.The analysis of the influence of the winding dia-meters showed that the equivalent stresses increased by 32%from the beginning of the crack growth until the wire broke.The increment in winding diameter decelerated the disclosure of the edge crack and reduced its length by 8.2%.The analysis of the influence of the winding pitch showed that decreasing the distance between the winding turns also led to a 33.6%reduction in the length of the straight crack and a 7.9%reduction in the maximum stres-ses on the strengthened pipeline cross-section.The analysis of the temperature effect on the pipeline material,within a range from-40℃ to+50℃,resulted in a crack length change of up to 5.8%.As the temperature dropped,the crack length decreased.Within such a temperature range,the maximum stresses were observed along the cen-tral area of the crack,which were equal to 413 MPa at+50℃ and 440 MPa at-40℃.The results also showed that the presence of the steel winding in the pipeline significantly reduced the length of crack propagation up to 8.4 times,depending on the temperature effect and design parameters of prestressing.This work integrated the existing methods for crack localization along steel gas pipelines.

Effects of Extreme Air Temperature and Humidity on the Insecticidal Expression Level of Bt Cotton

The higher survival rates of Helicoverpa amigera larvae were usually observed after adverse climate which was related to extreme temperature （T） and relative humidity （RH） stresses in transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） cotton. The unstable resistance of Bt cotton to bollworms has been correlated with the reduced expression of CrylAc δ-endotoxin. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of combined temperature and relative humidity stresses on the leaf CrylAc insecticidal protein expression during critical developmental stages. The study was undertaken on two transgenic cotton cultivars that share same parental background, Sikang 1 （a conventional cultivar） and Sikang 3 （a hybrid cultivar）, during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons at the Yangzhou University Farm, Yangzhou, China. The study was arranged with two factors that consisted of temperature （two levels） and relative humidity （three levels）. The six T/RH treatments were 37℃/95%, 37℃/70%, 37℃/50%, 18℃/95%, 18℃/70%, and 18℃/50%. In 2007, the six treatments were imposed to the plants at peak flowering stage for 24 h; in 2008, the six treatments were applied to the plants at peak square, peak flowering, and peak boll stages for 48 h. The results of the study indicated that the leaf insecticidal protein expression in CrylAc was significantly affected by extreme temperature only at peak flowering stage, and by both extreme temperature and relative humidity during boll filling stage. The greatest reductions were observed when the stresses were applied at peak boll stage. In 2008, after 48 h stress treatment, the leaf Bt endotoxin expression reduced by 25.9-36.7 and 23.6-40.5% at peak boll stage, but only by 14.9-26.5 and 12.8-24.0% at peak flowering stage for Sikang 1 and Sikang 3, respectively. The greatest reduction was found under the low temperature combined with low relative humidity condition for both years. It is believed that the temperature and relative humidity stresses may be attributed to the reduced efficacy of Bt cotton in growing conditions in China, where extreme temperatures often increase up to 35-40℃ and/or decrease down to 15-20℃, and relative humidity may reach to 85-95% and/or reduce to 40-55% during the cotton growing season.

Spatial distribution of air temperature and relative humidity in the greenhouse as affected by external shading in arid climates

The effect of external roof shading on the spatial distribution of air temperature and relative humidity in a greenhouse(Tin and RHin) was evaluated under the arid climatic conditions of Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Two identical, evaporatively-cooled, single-span greenhouses were used in the experiment. One greenhouse was externally shaded(Gs) using a movable black plastic net(30% transmissivity), and the other greenhouse was kept without shading(Gc). Strawberry plants were cultivated in both greenhouses. The results showed that the spatial distribution of the Tin and RHin was significantly affected by the outside solar radiation and evaporative cooling operation. The regression analysis showed that when the outside solar radiation intensity increased from 200 to 800 W m–2, the Tin increased by 4.5℃ in the Gc and 2℃in the Gs, while the RHin decreased by 15% in the Gc and 5% in the Gs, respectively. Compared with those in the Gc, more uniformity in the spatial distribution of the Tin and RHin was observed in the Gs. The difference between the maximum and minimum Tin of 6.4℃ and the RHin of 10% was lower in the Gs than those in the Gc during the early morning. Around 2℃ difference in the Tin was shown between the area closed to the exhausted fans and the area closed to the cooling pad with the external shading. In an evaporatively-cooled greenhouse in arid regions, the variation of the Tin and RHin in the vertical direction and along the sidewalls was much higher than that in the horizontal direction. The average variation of the Tin and RHin in the vertical direction was 5.2℃ and 10% in the Gc and 5.5℃ and 13% in the Gs, respectively. The external shading improved the spatial distribution of the Tin and RHin and improved the cooling efficiency of the evaporative cooling system by 12%, since the transmitted solar radiation and accumulated thermal energy in the greenhouse were significantly reduced.

Circadian Rhythm of Calling Behavior in the Emei Music Frog(Babina daunchina) is Associated with Habitat Temperature and Relative Humidity

Generally, the function of vocalizations made by male anurans are to attract females or defend resources. Typically, males vocalize in choruses during one or more periods in a twenty-four-hour cycle, which varies, however, among species. Nevertheless, the causal factors influencing circadian variations of calling patterns in anuran species are not clear. In this study, male chorus vocalizations were monitored in the Emei music frog(Babina daunchina) for 17 consecutive days during the breeding season, while its habitat air temperature and relative humidity in the course of experiments were measured as well. The results revealed that the circadian calling patterns were characterized by two periods of peak vocalization, which were observed from 0500 h to 0700 h and from 1300 h to 2000 h, while the lowest activity period was found from 2100 h to 2200 h. Both calls/h and notes/h were positively correlated with air temperature and negatively with relative humidity. Overall, our data indicate that the Emei music frogs(B. daunchina) could regulate their vocal activities based on the changes of physical micro-environment(e. g., temperature or humidity) to maximize reproductive success.

Seasonal Variation in Air Temperature and Relative Humidity on Building Areas and in Green Spaces in Beijing, China

The cooling and humidifying effects of urban parks are an essential component of city ecosystems in terms of regulating microclimates or mitigating urban heat islands(UHIs).Air temperature and relative humidity are two main factors of thermal environmental comfort and have a critical impact on the urban environmental quality of human settlements.We measured the 2-m height air temperature and relative humidity at the Beijing Olympic Park and a nearby building roof for more than 1 year to elucidate seasonal variations in air temperature and relative humidity,as well as to investigate the outdoor thermal comfort.The results showed that the lawn of the park could,on average,reduce the air temperature by(0.80±0.19)℃,and increase the relative humidity by(5.24±2.91)% relative to the values measured at the building roof during daytime.During the nighttime,the lawn of the park reduced the air temperature by(2.64±0.64)℃ and increased the relative humidity by(10.77±5.20)%.The park was cooler and more humid than surrounding building area,especially in night period(more pronounced cooling with 1.84℃).Additionally,the lawn of the park could improve outdoor thermal comfort through its cooling and humidifying effects.The level of thermal comfort in the park was higher than that around the building roof for a total of 11 days annually in which it was above one or more thermal comfort levels(average reduced human comfort index of 0.92)except during the winter.

Effects of Temperature,Humidity and Different Rice Growth Stages on Vertical Migration of Aphelenchoides besseyi

The vertical migration of Aphelenchoides besseyi under different temperatures and humidities and at different rice growth stages was investigated. It was found that the optimum temperature for the development and reproduction of A. besseyiwas 25-30℃. At the same temperature, the rate of vertical migration increased with rising relative humidity. Artificial inoculation tests showed that at the elongation stage, nematodes survived mainly on the upper and middle parts of rice culms and the number of nematodes decreased by 50% at 20 days after inoculation compared with that at 5 days after inoculation. Whereas at the booting stage, nematodes accumulated in young panicles and reproduced quickly,, and the average number of nematodes at 20 days after inoculation increased to 164.5, three times of that at 5 days after inoculation.

Visco-elastic-plastic model of deep underground rock affected by temperature and humidity

As the depth of exploitation increases,studies on constitutive models of rock affected by temperature and humidity become very important.Based on the Nishihara model,a visco-elastic-plastic rock model was established by using the coefficients of thermal and humidity expansion,thermal viscosity attenuation,humid viscosity attenuation and acceleration rheology components.We used the definition of a controlled heat circle to explain the model.The results show that the behavior of rock,affected by temperature and humidity,is stable as a function of time when the stress is lower than the first yield stress σS1;the creep rate will increase due to the effect of temperature and humidity when the stress is greater than or equal to σS1;the creep rate will accelerate at an increasing rate when the stress is greater than or equal to the second yield stress σS2,which results in a failure of the roadway.The model derived in this study can completely describe visco-elastic-plastic characteristics and reflects the three stages of rock creep.

Tomato Leaf Photosynthetic Responses to Humidity andTemperature Under Salinity and Water Deficit

Greenhouse tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv. Capello) were grown on peat-based substrate and treated with high (4.5 mS cm-1) and low (2.3 mS cm-1) nutrient solution electric conductivity(EC) under high and low substrate water contents. FOur weeks after the beginning of the treatments, photosynthesis (Th) was measured under different humidity and temperatures to examine the interactive effectswith rhizosphere salinity and water deficit. A rectangular hyperbolic model fitted the light-photosynthesiscurve. Photosynthetic capacity (PC) was decreased but quantum yield (YQ) was increased by rhizospheresalinity caused by high EC. PN was decreased by low humidity only in high EC- and/or water-stressed plants.Under high photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), low humidity induced PC decline in water-stressed plants andPN oscillation in high-EC-treated plants. PN increased steadily as the leaf temperature changed from 18 Cto 23 and then decreased steadily from 23 to 38 . At 34 , PN decreased significantly in waterstressed plants. Dark respiration (RD) increased in an exponential manner as the leaf temperature changedfrom 18 to 38 to an extent about ten times higher under 38 than under 18 . Our data suggestedthat PN decrease under high temperature was attributed, st least in part, to the increased RD. RD in highEC- and/or water-stressed plants was higher than that in the plants of control under lower temperature butlower than that in the plants of control under high temperature. The analysis of stomatal and mesophyllconductance showed that low humidity effect was mainly through stomatal response while temperature effectwas mainly through biochemical functions. The result showed that environmental stresses affected PN in anadditive or synergistic manner.

Intercomparison of Humidity and Temperature Sensors:GTS1, Vaisala RS80, and CFH

GTS1 digital radiosonde, developed by the Shanghai Changwang Meteorological Science and Technology Company in 1998, is now widely used in operational radiosonde stations in China. A preliminary comparison of simultaneous humidity measurements by the GTS1 radiosonde, the Vaisala RS80 radiosonde, and the Cryogenic Frostpoint Hygrometer （CFH）, launched at Kunming in August 2009, reveals a large dry bias produced by the GTS1 humidity sensor. The average relative dry bias is in the order of 10% below 500 hPa, increasing rapidly to 30% above 500 hPa, and up to 55% at 310 hPa. A much larger dry bias is observed in the daytime, and this daytime effect increases with altitude. The GTS1 radiosonde fails to respond to humidity changes in the upper troposphere, and sometimes even in the middle troposphere. The failure of GTS1 in the middle and upper troposphere will result in significant artificial humidity shifts in radiosonde climate records at stations in China where a transition from mechanical to digital radiosondes has occurred. A comparison of simultaneous temperature observations by the GTS1 radiosonde and the Vaisala RS80 radiosonde suggests that these two radiosondes provide highly reproducible temperature measurements in the troposphere, but produce opposite biases for daytime and nighttime measurements in the stratosphere. In the stratosphere, the GTS1 shows a warm bias （〈0.5 K） in the daytime and a relatively large cool bias （-0.2 K to -1.6 K） at nighttime.

Elevational patterns of temperature and humidity in the middle Tianshan Mountain area in Central Asia

The vertical distribution of vegetation types along an elevational gradient in mountain areas largely depends on the elevational changes in air temperature and humidity. In this study, we presented the seasonal and diurnal variations in the elevational gradients of air temperature and humidity on the southern and northern slopes in the middle Tianshan Mountain Range using data collected throughout the year via HOBO data loggers. The measurements were conducted at 12 different elevations from 1548 to 3277 m from September 2004 to August 2005. The results showed that the annual mean air temperature decreased along the elevational gradients with temperature lapse rates of(0.71±0.20)°C/100 m and(0.59±0.05)°C/100 m on the northern and southern slopes, respectively. The annual mean absolute humidity significantly decreased with increasing elevation on the northern slope but showed no significant trend on the southern slope. The annual mean relative humidity did not show a significant trend on the northern slope but increased with increasing elevation on the southern slope. The mean air temperature lapse rate exhibited significant seasonal variation, which is steeper insummer and shallower in winter, and this value varied between 0.37°C/100 m and 0.75°C/100 m on the southern slope and between 0.30°C/100 m and 1.02°C/100 m on the northern slope. The mean absolute and relative humidity also exhibited significant seasonal variations on both slopes, with the maximum occurring in summer and the minimum occurring in winter or spring. The monthly diurnal range of air temperature on both slopes was higher in spring than in winter. The annual range of air temperature on the southern slope was higher than that on the northern slope. Our results suggest that significant spatiotemporal variations in humidity and temperature lapse rate are useful when analyzing the relationships between species range sizes and climate in mountain areas.

Local Variability in Temperature, Humidity and Radiation in the BaekduDaegan Mountain Protected Area of Korea

A novel embedded sensor network records changes in key climatic-environmental variables over a range of altitude in the BaekduDaegan Mountain （BDM） of Gangwon Province in Korea, a protected mountain region with unique biodiversity undergoing climate change research. The investigated area is subdivided into three horizontal north-south study areas. Three variables, temperature （T, °C）, relative humidity （RH, %）, and light intensity （LI, lumens m-2, or lux, lx）, have been continuously measured at hourly intervals from June, 2olo to September, 2011 using HOBO H8 devices at lO fixed study sites. These hourly observations are aggregated to monthly, seasonal and annual mean values, and results are summarized to inaugurate a long-term climate change investigation. A region wide T difference in accordance with altitude, or lapse rate, over the interval is calculated as o.4°C l00 m-1. T lapse rates change seasonally, with winter lapse rates being greater than those of summer. RH is elevated in summer compared to other seasons. LI within forestland is lower during summer and higher during other seasons. The obtained results could closely relate to the vegetation type and structure and the terrain state since data loggers were located in forestland.

One-Dimensional Variational Retrieval of Temperature and Humidity Profiles from the FY4A GIIRS

A physical retrieval approach based on the one-dimensional variational(1 D-Var) algorithm is applied in this paper to simultaneously retrieve atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles under both clear-sky and partly cloudy conditions from FY-4 A GIIRS(geostationary interferometric infrared sounder) observations. Radiosonde observations from upper-air stations in China and level-2 operational products from the Chinese National Satellite Meteorological Center(NSMC)during the periods from December 2019 to January 2020(winter) and from July 2020 to August 2020(summer) are used to validate the accuracies of the retrieved temperature and humidity profiles. Comparing the 1 D-Var-retrieved profiles to radiosonde data, the accuracy of the temperature retrievals at each vertical level of the troposphere is characterized by a root mean square error(RMSE) within 2 K, except for at the bottom level of the atmosphere under clear conditions. The RMSE increases slightly for the higher atmospheric layers, owing to the lack of temperature sounding channels there.Under partly cloudy conditions, the temperature at each vertical level can be obtained, while the level-2 operational products obtain values only at altitudes above the cloud top. In addition, the accuracy of the retrieved temperature profiles is greatly improved compared with the accuracies of the operational products. For the humidity retrievals, the mean RMSEs in the troposphere in winter and summer are both within 2 g kg^(–1). Moreover, the retrievals performed better compared with the ERA5 reanalysis data between 800 h Pa and 300 h Pa both in summer and winter in terms of RMSE.

Effect of relative humidity at either acute or chronic moderate temperature on growth performance and droppings' corticosterone metabolites of broilers

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of relative humidity(RH) at either acute or chronic moderate ambient temperature(Ta) on growth performance and droppings' corticosterone metabolites of broilers.Two experiments were conducted: effect of RH(35,60 or 85%) on average daily feed intake(ADFI) and droppings' corticosterone metabolites at acute(1 d: 20–26 or 31–20°C,26 or 31°C for 6 h d–1 at 10:00–16:00) moderate Ta(experiment 1) and effect of RH(35,60 or 85%) on growth performance and droppings' corticosterone metabolites at chronic(step-wisely increasing temperature by 3°C every 3 d from 20 to 32°C within 15 d: 20–23–26–29–32°C) moderate Ta(experiment 2).Droppings were collected at the 2,4,6,8,and 22 h after Ta-RH controlled in experiment 1 and at the 2,4,6,and 22 h after Ta controlled to 32°C in experiment 2.The results showed that: 1) In experiment 1,85% RH increased(P<0.05) the droppings' corticosterone metabolites at the 2,6,8,and 22 h and 35% RH increased(P<0.05) it at the 2 and 22 h compared to the 60% RH.Moreover,85% RH further increased(P<0.05) it compared to the 35% RH,however,no difference(P>0.05) was found in ADFI among the three RH groups at acute moderate 26°C; 35 and 85% RH increased(P<0.05) droppings' corticosterone metabolites at the 2,6,8 and 22 h and decreased(P<0.05) ADFI compared to the 60% RH,moreover,85% RH further increased(P<0.05) droppings' corticosterone metabolites and further decreased(P<0.05) ADFI compared to the 35% RH at acute moderate 31°C; and the average of droppings' corticosterone metabolites in the whole period had a negative correlation(P<0.02) with the ADFI.2) In experiment 2,85% RH increased(P<0.01) droppings' corticosterone metabolites only at the 2 h and decreased(P<0.02) ADFI and average daily gain(ADG) compared to the 60% RH,no difference(P>0.05) in droppings' corticosterone metabolites was found between the 35 and 60% RH,however,35% RH decreased(P<0.01) ADG compared to the 60% RH,and the average of droppings' corticosterone metabolites in the whole period also had a negative correlation(P<0.02) with ADFI and ADG.In conclusion,droppings' corticosterone metabolites could be used as a RH stress index and low and high RH,especially high RH,reduced growth performance possibly through inducing RH stress at moderate temperature.

Evolution of a Water Pendant Droplet: Effect of Temperature and Relative Humidity

As part of a better understanding of drying liquids within porous materials, measurements from 293 to 343 K of deionized water surface tension in air as a function of relative humidity are exposed. Experimental work was carried out using the pendant drop method coupled with image analysis within an adapted instrumented climatic chamber. Results show that surface tension linearly decreases when relative humidity increases. Although the effect of humidity is less compared to that of the temperature and even less compared to a surfactant impact, it must not be neglected and values have to be mentioned when dealing with water evaporation. Modifying surface tension also affects the pendant drop shape. The drying kinetics of the pendant drop volume and its outer shell are connected to this change of shape. Steam in the air can be assimilated to a wetting agent, hence a surfactant, and can be used in an environmental-friendly way to ease the drying stage. Indeed, the challenge is to limit the risk of cracking and damaging pieces during this crucial step in material processing.

Effect of post treatment temperature and humidity conditions onfixation performance of CCA-C treated red pine and southern pine

Rates of fixation in chromated copper arsenate (CCA-C) treated red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and southern pine (Pinus spp) sapwood specimens using retention of 1.5, 2.0, 6.4 kg·m?3 are compared at temperature (T) ranging from 70°C to 50°C and 5 different relative humidity (RH) conditions. The samples were investigated using the expressate method to follow chromium fixation. Red pine fixes faster than southern pine under all 11 post treatment schedules. The fixation rates for both species are not significantly different while the blocks were fixed under 6 fixation/drying schedules that differed only in the order of T/RH conditions applied. The rate of fixation of all samples in any fixation stage were reduced when the blocks were fixed under lower humidity conditions in spite of no change in chamber temperature. Some of this influence can be attributed to the effect of humidity on heat transfer into the wood and cooling of the wood surface.