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The natural durability assessment of secondary hardwood species - laboratory tests
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10295
Laboratory tests have been undertaken to assess the natural durability of 16 species of lesser known hardwoods, or hardwoods from non-traditional sources, including teak from three different plantations. Resistance to decay by both basidiomycetes and soil-inhabiting micro-fungi has been established. ´The data indicated that published information on the durability of these timbers should be treat...
J K Carey, S J Hendry


An electron spin resonance study of manganese changes in wood decayed by the brown-rot fungus, Postia placenta
1988 - IRG/WP 1359
Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry was used to examine wood decay by the brown-rot fungus, Postia placenta. Wood slivers of Douglas-fir, white fir, redwood, sweetgum and yellow poplar were incubated for 4 weeks in custom-made quartz ESR tubes with or without Postia placenta. In all wood species without fungus, a weak partially resolved signal (about g=2, presumably due to manganese) was de...
B Illman, D C Meinholtz, T L Highley


Collaborative soft rot tests: Paper for discussion in Working Group II
1970 - IRG/WP II 5A
An account of the major part of the collaborative work on laboratory tests of toxicity of preservatives to soft rot fungi initiated by the European Homologation Committee at Delft in 1966 has been published in ‘Material und Organismen’ (1970) as a report of progress. The main objective of these collaborative tests, namely to establish a reliable and acceptable standard test method was not acco...
J G Savory, A F Bravery


The effect of hemicellulose degradation on the mechanical properties of wood during brown rot decay
2001 - IRG/WP 01-20219
Incipient decay of wood by brown rot fungi causes measurable strength losses in wood before measurable weight loss occurs. Previous studies have shown that the high levels of strength loss that occur during incipient brown rot decay may be related to loss in hemicellulose. This paper investigates the effect of decay on hemicellulose composition and the relationship to the mechanical properties of ...
S F Curling, C A Clausen, J E Winandy


Laboratory tests on light organic solvent preservatives for use in Australia. - Part 6: Soft rot resistance of three fully formulated preservatives on different timber substrates
2000 - IRG/WP 00-30245
The above-ground soft rot resistance of substrates treated with three fully formulated light organic solvent preservatives (Cuprivac Green WR, Impresol WR 205 and Vacsol) was studied using a modified vermiculite burial method. The substrates were sapwood of Pinus elliottii and P. radiata and heartwood of Eucalyptus regnans, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Shorea sp. (a lower and a higher density source) an...
G C Johnson, M A Tighe, J D Thornton


Decay and mold resistance of borate modified oriented strandboard
2003 - IRG/WP 03-40260
Decay and mold resistance of zinc borate (ZB) and calcium borate (CB) modified oriented strandboard (OSB) from southern mixed hardwoods and yellow pine was investigated in this study. Tests were done with brown rot, Gloeophyllum trabeum, and white-rot, Trametes versicolar, fungi for 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Wood species and fungus type had significant influence on the decay resistance. Decay...
Q Wu, S Lee, J P Jones


Natural exposure weathering tests: Their role in the assessment of wood preservative efficacy
1993 - IRG/WP 93-20006
Previous work has demonstrated the potential and usefulness of natural ageing procedures in e evaluation of wood preservative efficacy. This results from the combination of physico-chemical influences and microbiological interactions with both substrate and wood preservative. In this paper, results are presented for a range of biocide types. Discussions are centred on the value of natural exposure...
G R Williams, J Brown


The effect of tunicamycin on production and secretion of extracellular carbohydrate-degrading enzymes by Postia placenta
1988 - IRG/WP 1342
The extracellular carbohydrate-degrading enzymes of wood-decay fungi are usually heavily glycosylated and therefore stable under most denaturing conditions. It is unlikely that wood decay can be prevented by simply inactivating these enzymes. Tunicamycin, an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces lysosuperificus, prevents the glycosylation of glycoproteins and can interfere with the secretion of thes...
J A Micales, T L Highley


Moisture requirements and wood degradation of pine and spruce wood by some Basidiomycetes-fungi
1989 - IRG/WP 1406
The minimum moisture requirements for the growth of the brown rot fungi, Coniophora puteana, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Serpula lacrymans were near or above the fibre saturation point of pine and spruce, sap and heartwood, during 160 days incubation according to the standard method EN 113. The moisture of wood for the optimum growth of Coniophora puteana and Serpula lacrymans was about 35-80% and fo...
H Viitanen, A-C Ritschkoff


Microbial breakdown mechanisms. Mini-Symposium at the 18th IRG meeting, Honey Harbour, Ontario, Canada
1987 - IRG/WP 1327
An understanding of how micro-organisms cause chemical alternation to wood is essential for effective wood preservation. Investigation of the Microbial Breakdown of wood is a very dynamic research field and is increasing in importance as several biocides are being examined as alternativesw to classic wood preservatives. These biocides often do not possess broad spectrum activity. It is esential th...
L E Leightley


Acetylated solid wood. Laboratory durability test (part 2) and field trials
1995 - IRG/WP 95-40048
Degradation of acetylated beech, pine and poplar by soft rot fungi was related to strength loss in a laboratory test. No strength loss was noticed for poplar acetylated to a weight percent gain (WPG) of more than 11.2% and beech with a WPG of 12.8%. Several field trials were set up to determine the durability of acetylated products in practice. They included a field test to determine the durabilit...
E P J Beckers, H Militz, M Stevens


Changes in pore structure and cell wall volume in wood decayed by brown- and white-rot fungi
1991 - IRG/WP 1501
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) wood blocks were decayed by Postia (=Poria) placenta or Phanerochaete chrysosporium in soil-block cultures. Decay was terminated at various weight losses, and the pore volumes available to probes of various molecular weight and diameter were determined by the solute exclusion technique (Stone, J.E. and A.M. Scallan. 1968. Cellulose Chem. Technol. 2, 343-358.)....
D S Flournoy


A study of the decay type potential of seven soils
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1539
The aim of this experiment was to determine the significance of the fungal inoculum potential and physico-chemical properties of five field trial test site soils, a garden compost known to cause white rot in copper treated fence palings, and soil from a zone between 2 and 15 centimetres from a CCA treated post with brown rot, in causing differential decay type in Pinus radiata and Poplus deltoides...
R N Wakeling


Preliminary studies of the decay mechanism of some brown-rot fungi
1989 - IRG/WP 1402
The importance of the enzymatic degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose by brown-rot fungi is still under discussion. Endo-ß-1,4-xylanase and endoglucanase activities of Coniophora puteana and Poria placenta cultures were measured by the increase in reducing groups. Enzymes were produced in liquid and solid sawdust based culture media. Enzyme activities were measured in two, four and eight wee...
A-C Ritschkoff, H Viitanen


Soft rot - Soil burial - Tests. Influence of the water content of the soil on wood decay
1972 - IRG/WP 212
The decay of wood samples buried in the soil is influenced by various factors. Decisive are the water content, the content of organic substances, pH-value content of mineral nutritive substances etc. of the soil. For the tests, carried out by the EMPA until now, it was always started with a water content of 35%, refered to the dry weight of the EMPA-soil = 75% of its water capacity. In order to in...
O Wälchli


Decay resistance of Siberian larch wood against brown rot fungi - Part 2. The effect of genetic variation
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10287
Wood natural decay resistance is mainly restricted in the heartwood part of tree and based on wood microstructure and chemical composition. However, the variation of decay resistant in different wood species is vide and the effect of genotype on decay resistance of Siberian larch wood grown in Finland is not known. The aim of this work was to find out the variation on decay resistance of Siberian ...
H Viitanen, L Paajanen, T Nikkanen, P Velling


Biochemical aspects of white-rot and brown-rot decay
1987 - IRG/WP 1319
This paper presents an overview of the decomposition of wood by white- and brown-rot fungi - the most important and potent of known wood-decay fungi. These organisms are unique among cellulose destroyers because of their strong capability to enzymatically degrade lignified material. Special emphasis is given to the following aspects of wood decomposition by white- and brown-rot fungi: (1) effects...
T L Highley


The critical moisture and temperature conditions for the growth of some mould fungi and the brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana on wood
1988 - IRG/WP 1369
The growth of some mould fungi on pine and spruce sapwood was studied in 40 different constant moisture and temperature conditions. The temperature range was between +10 and +40°C and the relative humidities varied from 76 to 100% relative humidity (RH). The incubation time was 12 weeks. The mixed mould inoculation used included typical fungi growing on wood: Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium ...
H Viitanen, L Paajanen


Ability of chitosans to limit wood decay under laboratory conditions.
2004 - IRG/WP 04-30339
Chitosans have recently been explored for controlling a number of plant pathogenic fungi and have shown some promise for controlling stain fungi on wood. The potential for using chitosans either alone or in combination with copper sulfate to protect wood from fungal decay was explored using maple veneers. Chitosan treatment reduce weight losses caused by two brown rot and one white rot fungi, howe...
M Maoz, J J Morrell


Generation of hydroxyl radical by the brown-rot fungus, Postia placenta
1988 - IRG/WP 1360
In an electron spin resonance (ESR) survey of various liquid cultures and wood slivers innoculated with the brown-rot fungus, Postia placenta, the spin trap dimethyl-l-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) was used to detect the presence of the hydroxyl radical. The ESR spectra for the paramagnetic DMPO- hydroxyl radical adduct was observed in (1) nitrogen-limited, liquid cultures having 1.0% glucose or 0.1% c...
B Illman, D C Meinholtz, T L Highley


Fenton's reagent as a modification tool in brown-rot decay
1996 - IRG/WP 96-10155
A biomimetic approach was used to clarify the role and importance of the Fenton-type reaction in the carbohydrate degradation by brown-rot fungi. Spruce sawdust and microcrystalline cellulose were modified in the H2O2/Fe(II) treatment. The degree of hydrolysis of the pretreated spruce sawdust was clearly increased with the complete cellulase (Econase), purified endoglucanase from Trichoderma reese...
M Rättö, A-C Ritschkoff, J Buchert, L Viikari


Observations on the performance of copper-based wood preservatives in fungal cellar (soil-bed) tests
1994 - IRG/WP 94-20047
Fungal cellar (soil-bed) tests are considered to be an important tool for the evaluation of the performance of ground contact wood preservatives. Facilities of this type have been established world wide although caution has been exercised in their introduction into standard testing methods for the approval of wood preservatives. This is the result of concerns over the variability in the biological...
G R Williams, D Rudolph, M E Hedley, J A Drysdale, R F Fox


Preservative effect of cellulose insulation material against some mould fungi and brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana in pine sapwood
1991 - IRG/WP 1484
The influence of mineral wool and loose-fill cellulose wool on biodeterioration of pine sapwood was studied. The test fungi were mould fungi Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Penicillium sp. and Aureobasidium pullullans and brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana. Cellulose wool inhibited the growth of mould fungi on the face of wood contacted with insulation material at RH of 97 an...
H Viitanen


Biochemical relationships between biodegradation of cellulose and formation of oxalic acid in brown-rot wood decay
1991 - IRG/WP 1472
Non-enzymic hydrolysis of cellulose with low concentrations of oxalic acid was examined. The incubation of pine wood pulp with 1% oxalic acid (pH 1.3) at 35°C for 4 weeks reduced the original viscosity to 60%. Reducing sugars were liberated from various cellulosic samples by the oxalic acid treatment. However, crystallinities of cellulose in those samples did not change before and after the treat...
M Shimada, Y Akamatsu, A Ohta, M Takahashi


Potential toxicants for controlling soft rot in preservative treated hardwoods. Part 1: Laboratory screening tests using a filter paper technique
1977 - IRG/WP 290
Thirty-one miscellaneous formulations have been screened using a filter paper assay technique, for their efficacy in controlling the growth of Chaetomium globosum, Cephalosporium acremonium, and a mixed inoculum of finely ground soft-rotted wood obtained from preservative treated transmission poles. The formulations consisted of various organic compounds and inorganic preparations made from differ...
H Greaves


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