A Yield of American Walnut in Sliced Veneer Production

The aim of the research was to analyse the American walnut yield in the production of sliced 0,5 mm thick veneer. There were two groups of sliced veneers. The first group was composed of veneer logs with a diameter above 50 cm and the second was composed of veneer logs with diameter up to 50 cm. Due to their good thermic conductivity and stability during the hydrothermic treatment, walnut logs have been sliced for the most part into square prismatic flitches. The hydrothermic treatment of the prismatic flitches was performed by warming (heating) and by using saturated water vapor for the first group at the 96-hour intervals and for the second group at the 80-hour intervals. The veneers were sliced by using a horizontal veneer slicer. The veneers were dried in open dry kilns. The average percentase of bark in both groups of veneer flitches was 17,6 %. The loss due to the remains upon sslicing in the first group was 4,2 % and in the second 5,5 %. The measured thickness off flitches was 0.450 mm in the first group and in the second 0,449 mm. The water content after slicing was 90,5 % and after drying 8.3 %. The average yield of veneer flitches in the first group was 34,6 % or 692  m2/m3 respectively, whereas in the second group it was 37,4% or 750 m2/m3 respectively. The average yield for both groups was 36,0 % or 721 m2/m3 respectively.