Kuivamine

Kuivamine is the process of removing moisture from a material or substance. In Estonian usage, the noun kuivamine denotes both the act of drying and the state of being dry, and it is used in everyday speech as well as in technical contexts such as agriculture, food processing, textile production, woodworking, and electronics.

Methods vary from natural air drying to mechanical processes. Natural drying relies on ambient temperature, airflow, and sometimes sunlight, and is common for agricultural products and laundry. Thermal drying uses heated air or surfaces and includes oven drying, kiln drying, and industrial dryers such as belt or rotary dryers. Other approaches include desiccation with desiccants, vacuum drying, and freeze-drying, which removes moisture through sublimation at low temperature and pressure.

Applications are broad. Household drying of clothes, preservation of foods as dried fruits, jerky, or coffee, timber drying in construction and forestry, pharmaceutical and food-grade powder drying, and protective packaging for electronics or moisture-sensitive goods.

Measuring moisture content is central to quality control; moisture meters and moisture balances are common tools, used to reach target levels and prevent spoilage, cracking, or microbial growth.

Etymology: The term kuivamine derives from the Estonian verb kuivama (to dry). Related terms such as kuivatamine and kuivatus are used in technical language to refer to drying processes.