frost helping reduce moisture

[Stephen Blair]

we have had about an inch of rain since the start of december and frosty every day since including the snow. we split and filled one of the bays with beech on december, i never covered them until 2 weeks ago, i honestly think they are ready to burn already, does the frost force out the moisture?

[Rupe]

Definatly, moisture can't exist in cold air, so very cold weather is always dry. Hence we always moan about the cold when its -2 and damp, yet when it gets to -10 ish its so much drier that body temp doesn't get conducted through the air as well and so it doesn't immediatly feel so cold, yet of course it is!

[Albedo]

I don’t know . but its an interesting exercise

 

Logs have dried fast. no rain, lots of frost, hmmm???

 

If the frost means that atmospheric moisture is deposited as frost on various surfaces, then the air would be drier than normal or low in humidity.

 

If water inside the logs wants to evaporate from the ends of the logs, it must be able to do so more easily into dry air than wet air.

 

So I conclude, that the answer is yes. Based on no proof whatsoever, just my own thoughts.

 

 

went away to write this in word and rupe posted but will chuck it in anyway

[Graham]

Must be similar to food in the freezer. Always dries out if it's not wrapped properly.

[Rupe]

Hence the term "freeze dried" !!??

[Albedo]

Freeze-drying (also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation) is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material or make the material more convenient for transport. Freeze-drying works by freezing the material and then reducing the surrounding pressure and adding enough heat to allow the frozen water in the material to sublime directly from the solid phase to the gas phase.

 

The above from wicki suggests that pressure may also be involved. Low pressure, weather wise, is gonna help the water move from the log to the atmosphere

[Albedo]

The wicki thing also requires heat, did you have a little electric fire or summat by the pile stevie:biggrin:

[Rupe]

Sure, pressure required in commercial freeze drying just to speed up the process, but the principle is the same with the logs, and low pressure wouln't necessarily be required, moisture in the logs would move into the atmosphere around it due to osmosis, and a high pressure (weather type) wouldn't stop this.

[Albedo]

I don't think osmosis is the right process as that involves solutions of different concentrations, thru a semi permeable membrane. but I think your'e right that the analysis of freeze drying only goes so far.

[Rupe]

I may be confusing myself then, not osmosis but similar.

 

Any how Shrek, you got dry logs, yay!!!!