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Performance classification of wood in construction – drafting a user friendly European standard
2014 - IRG/WP 14-20545
The performance classification for wood products in construction is an extremely important topic in Europe and beyond – warranty providers and end users demand service life and performance information in the face of competition with other materials. The European project PerformWOOD has formalised and drawn together the on-going research to focus on generation of a material resistance factor for ...
E Suttie, C Brischke, L Meyer, J Van Acker, M Kutnik, E Heisel, F Englund, J Jermer, S Thelandersson, M Polášek, D Lorenzo


Selection of Wood-Rotting Basidiomycetes for Inoculation of an Accelerated Soil Bed Test
2014 - IRG/WP 14-20543
There is a need for a test method that guarantees exposure of treated wood to soil and preservative-tolerant wood-rotting basidiomycetes as standard field tests do not do this reliably. The ability of a range of selected wood-rotting basidiomycetes to grow through unsterile forest soil was investigated in a Mason jar test assembly. None of the white-rot fungi in test grew through this soil. Fou...
P I Morris, A Uzunovic, J Ingram


Termite resistance of wood modified with short- and long-chain siloxanes
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40660
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood specimens modified with short- and long-chain amino-functional siloxane emulsions were exposed to subterranean termites (Reticulitermes flavipes Kollar). Laboratory choice and no-choice tests following the standard EN 117 (2013) were conducted for 8 weeks in order to evaluate the influence of these silicon-based compounds on the termite resistance of treate...
P Gascón-Garrido, M-F Thévenon, H Militz, C Mai


Effects of thermal modification on properties of Douglas-fir heartwood
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40663
The flexural properties and mass losses of thermal modified Douglas-fir pretreated with boron or glycerol were examined. Pretreatments were associated with slight, but not significant, reductions in modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE)of Douglas-fir at different thermal treatment levels. Boron pretreatment had the greatest effect on MOR. MOR of non-pretreated and ...
Li Yan, J J Morrell


Improving dimensional stability of thermally treated wood by secondary modification – potential and limitations
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40664
The potential of treating thermally modified wood with melamine resin to improve the dimensional stabilization is tested in this research. Two different boards of poplar (Populus ssp.) were cut into two halves. One half of each board was thermally modified (T1 and T2) in a commercial process, the other half was used as untreated reference material. The material was thermally modified using the vac...
G Behr, K-C Mahnert, S Bollmus, H Militz


Development of new wood treatments combining boron impregnation and thermo modification - Effect on decay and termites durability
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40666
Environmental pressures appeared in most European countries during the last decade has lead to the development of more environmentally acceptable preservation methods. In this context, wood heat treatment has been one of the most investigated alternative methods during the last years. Treated at temperatures ranging between 180 and 220°C, wood components undergo more or less important chemical mo...
S Salman, A Pétrissans, M-F Thévenon, S Dumarçay, B Pollier, P Gérardin


Performance of some wood modification treatments against marine borers
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40668
Since some years, new treatment technology to protect wood against wood destroying fungi is introduced. Limited knowledge on their resistance to water organisms is available. Therefore, the resistance of chemically modified wood was assessed in a field test according to the European Standard EN 275 over a period of 3 resp. 5 years at sites in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Scots pine (Pinus syl...
A Klüppel, C Mai, H Militz, S Cragg


Modern Instrumental Methods to Investigate the Mechanism of Biological Decay in Wood Plastic Composites
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40674
Various instrumental techniques were used to study the fungal decay process in wood plastic composite (WPC) boards. Commercial boards exposed near Hilo, Hawaii (HI) for eight years in both sun and shadow locations were inspected and tested periodically. After eight years of exposure, both boards were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while a selected area of the board exposed in sh...
G Sun, R Ibach, M Gnatowski, J Glaeser, M Leung, J Haight


Possible targets of wood modification in brown rot degradation
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40676
Wood modification protects wood from fungal degradation in a non-toxic manner. However, the mechanisms behind the decay resistance in modified wood are currently unknown. The aim of this study was to discuss the i) colonisation, ii) nutrient recognition, iii) transcription, iv) depolymerisation and v) hydrolysis steps in the brown rot degradation progress and explore whether they are inhibited by ...
R Ringman, A Pilgård, G Alfredsen, B Goodell, K Richter


Experiences with an industrial system for controlled thermal wood modification in pressurized unsaturated steam
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40678
Thermal wood modification in pressurized reactors has a long history, but these processes are to date industrially scarcely used, because of the relatively complicated process equipment, compared to the more common high-temperature processes in kilns at atmospheric pressure. However, based on our practical experience with the FirmoLin® process, supported by recent scientific findings, it is foun...
W Willems


Lignin Modification to Produce Sustainable Polyurethane Resin for Wood Coatings
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40682
The use of lignin as the most abundant aromatic natural polymer has been evaluated for use in the production of lignin-based polyurethane resin for coating applications. Coatings are made of resins (ca. 50%), which today are mainly derived from petroleum-based polymers. This study is focused on the development of an environmentally friendly method of modifying lignin to be used as source of natura...
M Nejad, M Arefmanesh, S Chandra, J Mostaghimi, E Master


Short-term protection of palm wood against moulds and decay fungi by environment-friendly organic acids
2015 - IRG/WP 15-10843
Felled palm trunks are susceptible to fungi as long as their moisture content is above fibre saturation. During this period, it has to be protected against moulds and decay fungi. The study tested environmental-friendly organic acids for their protecting efficiency. Small samples of Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) wood were treated with weak organic acids and subse...
M Bahmani, O Schmidt


Applicability of wood durability testing methods to bio-based building materials
2015 - IRG/WP 15-20561
It is well known that organic materials may be susceptible to attack from a range of fungal organisms and any bio-based material used in locations where there is the possibility of microbiological activity must be expected to be able to withstand or prevent such attack. There are a wide range of test methods and standards in place to test susceptibility although most of these test individual compo...
S F Curling, B K Stefanowski, E Mansour, G A Ormondroyd


Interaction between Aspergillus niger fungus and other filamentous fungi on salt-agar medium and their growth on natural wood and wood treated with fungicide
2015 - IRG/WP 15-20569
Aspergillus niger (An) is very often used alone or in mixture with other filamentous fungi of the genus in testing biocides in disinfection procedures, safety, hygiene, medical fields as well as for testing resistance of wood and wood-based materials to moulds. Softwood species as well as hardwood are overgrown with An fungus very easily, causing drop of mainly the aesthetic value of wood product....
A Fojutowski, A Kropacz, A Koziróg


Bio-friendly preservative systems for enhanced wood durability - the first periodic report on DURAWOOD
2015 - IRG/WP 15-30677
The objective of the paper is the DURAWOOD scientific project carried out within Polish-Norwegian Research Programme, which lasts from September 2013 till August 2016. The aim of the project concentrates on the developing of a new, eco-friendly and biocide-free wood protective systems as an alternative to traditional, commonly used preservatives or coatings, containing biocides. Several wood prese...
B Mazela, M Broda, W Perdoch, L Ross Gobakken, I Ratajczak, G Cofta, W Grześkowiak, A Komasa, A Przybył


Indentation and pendulum hardness tests: two convenient assessment methods of the performance of exterior wood coatings
2015 - IRG/WP 15-40689
Developing formulations of exterior wood coatings with long service life is a big challenge. For many years in Europe the performances have been mainly evaluated through weathering tests (within the EN 927 series) followed by visual assessment (blistering, flaking, mould growth, chalking and cracking), colour and gloss measurements, and adhesion tests. Very recently the importance of the mechanica...
L Malassenet, L Podgorski, M Truskaller, G Grüll


A review of the analytical methods used in determining the decay resistance of heat treated wood
2015 - IRG/WP 15-40690
Heat treatment as a wood process is increasingly used because of its non-biocide behaviour and its low environmental impact. This sort of treatment is based on biopolymer chemical degradation by heat transfer. This process improves mainly the dimensional stability and the decay resistance of wood. Wood becomes darker after this type of treatment and thus gives it an aesthetic appearance. These i...
K Candelier, M-F Thévenon, A Pétrissans, S Dumarçay, P Gérardin, M Pétrissans


A novel enzymatic treatment as a new approach for wood protection
2015 - IRG/WP 15-40701
Wood durability is a worldwide concern and most treatments tend to fail with regard to their efficacy along the time. Weather conditions lead to a loss of the treatment substances into the surrounding environment and, in consequence, generate also a public health concern. Recently, the employment of oxidative enzymes, such as laccases, has been proposed as a tool for lignocellulosics modificatio...
C Fernández-Costas, S Palanti, M Ángeles Sanromán, D Moldes


Durability of reaction to fire performance of FRT wood products in different end use applications – Methods and results
2015 - IRG/WP 15-40705
Fire retardant treatments (FRT) may considerably improve the reaction to fire properties of wood-based products and the highest fire classifications for combustible products can be reached, but the maintained reaction to fire performance e. g. in exterior applications needs to be addressed in order to form a basis for new and reliable wood products with improved fire performance. A European Techn...
B Östman, L Tsantaridis


Evaluating the Effects of Post Dip-Treatment Laser Marking on Resistance to Feeding by Subterranean Termites
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10854
Dip-treatment of wood packing materials is often used instead of pressure treatment mainly because of issues relating to simplicity and cost. Packaging boxes fabricated for the United States Army are required to be dip-treated for at least one minute in an approved preservative solution prior to use. These boxes are expected to have a service life of up to 20 years in a wide variety of environment...
R A Arango, B Woodward, S Lebow


High-frequency monitoring of mass loss due to brown rot degradation of modified wood
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10862
Fungi growing in liquid culture undergoes three separate phases in which they i) adapt to the new environment, ii) grow unrestrictedly and exponentially, and iii) are inhibited to increase in number/mass due to lack of nutrients etc. Filamentous fungi have been shown to exhibit similar growth phases in a solid food substrate and have been modelled to grow in this way also in solid wood. In modifie...
R Ringman, A Pilgård, K Richter


Cultural heritage – research into innovative solutions and methods for historic wood conservation
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10874
Nowadays, interdisciplinary knowledge, tools and techniques are increasingly used to protect and conserve monuments representing our cultural heritage. This is of great importance especially in case of conservation and restoration of wooden historic artefacts which, as a result of physical, chemical and biological corrosion, have lost their technical, aesthetic and decorative properties. If those ...
M Broda, B Mazela


On the effect of climate and exposure conditions on durability indicators and their potential for service life prediction of wood-based products
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20576
In order to encourage increased use of wood, different user groups need to be better informed regarding the variation in performance between different wood materials and the effect of different use classes. It is also important to provide good empirical data on the service life of wood products as input to for example life cycle assessment studies. In the current study the effect of temperature an...
G Alfredsen, C Brischke, P-O Flæte, M Humar, L Meyer-Veltrup


Bundle tests - Simple alternatives to standard above ground field test methods
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20581
Within this study we applied different new above ground test set ups to untreated Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) which are frequently used as reference or control species in wood durability field tests. The overall aim of this study was to find a simple alternative method to the few standardized above ground field test methods, such as the L-joint a...
C Brischke, L Meyer-Veltrup


Wood properties modification by an enzymatic assisted treatment with phenolic extractives
2016 - IRG/WP 16-30696
Extractives of sawdust and bark from P. pinaster and, condensed tannins (CTs) from P. radiata bark were used to treat beech and pine veneers in combination with an oxidative enzyme, in order to stably graft such extractives onto the veneers. First, the antifungal activity of P. pinaster phenolic extractives against wood decay fungi was studied. These extractives were also used to hydrophobize pi...
D Filgueira, C Fernández-Costas, D E García, D Moldes


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