Abstract
The present work deals with an experimental study of convective high temperature superheated steam and hot air drying of wood porous spherical particle (beechwood). A "macro-TG" apparatus, where particle was suspended and continuously weighed during drying, was used. For two values of drying agent velocity (superheated steam or hot air), moisture content and product temperature were measured during the two drying process. Next, the product quality was demonstrated to be improved when superheated steam was the drying agent. Indeed, the wood particle dried with superheated steam keeps its natural color while that dried with hot air blackens. Then, superheated steam drying process provides the most demanding requirement of the industry which is product quality. Possible applications of this particles drying is the fabrication of agglomerated wood.