Your search resulted in 421 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Studying amount, location and state of water in modified wood at moisture levels relevant for fungal degradation
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40889
Water is an essential parameter for fungal degradation of wood, but degradation primarily occurs at high moisture levels at water potential in the range of -4 to -0.1 MPa, which corresponds to 97-99.9% relative humidity. At these moisture levels, water is present in the wood structure both in and outside of cell walls. The majority of previous studies on the interaction between wood and water for ...
M Fredriksson, E Engelund Thybring, Ramunas Digaitis
Long-term field exposure of wood-plastic composites processed on a commercial-size extruder
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40894
Wood-plastic composites (WPC) contain wood fiber (or flour), thermoplastics and additives and are exposed to UV light, moisture, and biological deterioration in outdoor installations. Accelerated laboratory tests can help to predict the durability of WPCs, but long term evaluations are needed to validate these results. Field exposed above-ground WPC deck boards (30.5 x 139.7 x 609.6 mm) and in-gro...
R E Ibach, C M Clemmons, N M Stark
Impregnation of railway sleepers - Investigation of a system-sleeper as an alternative for creosote treated sleepers
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40896
For nearly 200 years wooden railway sleepers are impregnated with creosote. After initially using vacuum pressure processes for impregnation, empty-cell processes have been developed quickly and are used until today. Because of political developments, creosote will probably be banned on the European market in the near future. The Fürstenberg-System-Sleeper, which combines for Europe innovative as...
M Starck, A Heidel, C Brischke, H Militz
Application of diverse hyperspectral imaging systems for evaluation of heritage objects
2020 - IRG/WP 20-10971
Advanced imaging techniques are able to non-invasively characterize, monitor and evaluate the impact of conservation treatments on cultural heritage (CH) objects. In this specific field, hyperspectral imaging (HI) allows non-destructive characterization of materials by identifying and characterizing colouring agents, binders and protective coatings as constituents of an object’s original constru...
J Sandak, A Sandak, L Legan, K Retko, M Kavčič, J Kosel, F Poohphajai, R Herrera Diaz, V Ponnuchamy, N Sajinčič, Č Tavzes, P Ropret
Biofinish: A Functional Wood Surface Treatment based on Aureobasidium
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40903
Xyhlo Biofinish is a natural and environmentally friendly wood protection concept based on linseed oil impregnation and a fungal-based coating. It emerged in the late 1990s and has been developed over the past 15 years into an industrially applicable process in the Netherlands. The combination of linseed oil impregnation and a surface treatment with the living fungus Aureobasidium extends the serv...
S Rensink, M Sailer, S Roukens, J Gerber, H van der Mel, K Potgieter, J Spit, R Bulthuis, C Struck, M Bennink
The influence of chemical compounds on wood cell wall to surface cracks
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40908
Degradation due to cracking and dimensional changes caused by drying, have a significantly negative impact on the preservation and durability of wood. Therefore, the prevention of surface cracking, which tends to occur during the drying process, is vital. High temperature set drying is one of the most effective methods for preventing wood surface cracking. It begins with softening the wood at a hi...
R Suzuki, Y Mori, K Yoshihiro, K Yamashita, M Kiguchi
Plasma treatment of wood - a review of 15 years of research in Göttingen
2021 - IRG/WP 21-40913
Wood is an important renewable resource and can be found omnipresent in everyday life. Its natural properties offer numerous advantages regarding physical, mechanical but also aesthetic aspects, but also challenges that one has to address with various modification methods.
Driven by the desire to promote the use of promising new technologies using plasmas, there has been a close research network ...
P Sauerbier, R Köhler, G Avramidis, W Viöl, H Militz
Influence of weathering on surface roughness of thermally modified wood
2021 - IRG/WP 21-40915
Thermally modified wood is exposed to weathering similarly as other wood-based building materials. It has been reported that if thermally modified wood is exposed to weathering, its moisture performance might decrease fairly fast. The aim of this study was to determine whether this phenomenon is associated with crack formations or roughness. Norway spruce, thermally modified spruce, wax-treated th...
E Kerzic, B Lesar, M Humar
Surface morphology and short-term water uptake of charred and coated wood
2021 - IRG/WP 21-40916
Charring of the wood surface represents a traditional alternative surface treatment technique with the purpose of aesthetics and protection. By the treatment with flame the surface of wood becomes carbonized and a few millimetres thick charred layer is formed on the top of the wooden element. Further, the charred layer can be removed by brushing, which accentuates the structure of the surface. Add...
J Zigon
Studies on the material resistance and moisture dynamics of Douglas fir and Sitka spruce from Slovenia
2021 - IRG/WP 21-20677
Wood in outdoor applications is subject to various decomposition factors. Wood degradation can be prevented by construction details, biocide protection of wood, wood modification, or selection of naturally durable wood species. Unfortunately, the majority of timber species in Europe do not have naturally durable wood. Imported tree species represent a new pool from which we can draw wood species w...
M Humar, B Lesar, D Krzisnik, E Kerzic, R Brus
Effect of a Water Repellent Treatment on Moisture Behavior of Three Australian Hardwoods: A Preliminary Report
2021 - IRG/WP 21-40921
Wood is inherently hygroscopic and will sorb moisture either directly from the atmosphere or via capillary action. Moisture can have marked effects on wood properties and repeated wetting and drying creates dimensional changes that lead to physical damage. Exposure to elevated moisture levels also increases the risk of fungal attack.
Wood preservatives have long been used to minimize the risk of ...
B Hassan, J J Morrell, K Wood
Dynamics of fungi colonization on the surface of Scots pine wood during natural weathering in different European climate zones
2022 - IRG/WP 22-10984
Wood The presence of fungi leads to biomaterial decay and/or changes in aesthetical appeal. The start of fungi colonization as well as the following growth on wood are primarily influenced by four factors: ambient temperature, moisture history of the object, access to oxygen, and intrinsic properties of the exposed wood, considered here as a source of nutrients for microorganisms. A prevalence of ...
F Poohphajai, O Myronycheva, O Karlsson, L Rautkari, J Sandak, A Sandak
Natural durability and moisture dynamics of commercially important European wood species after weathering
2022 - IRG/WP 22-10992
Wood is a frequently used material. Timbers’ mechanical properties, particularly its favourable strength-to-mass ratio, make them suitable for many uses. Current environmental awareness has led to its renewed importance as a building material. However, wood is susceptible to decay that severely affect its outdoor performance. This study investigated how weathering affects the natural durability ...
E Keržič, M Humar
Significance of the thermal design and the sorption isotherm shape in hygroscopic wood moisture dynamics and service life
2022 - IRG/WP 22-20682
Moisture dynamics are considered important for predicting the service performance of wood in exterior applications. Above a critical moisture content, water acts a softener on the structural polymer matrix of the wood cell wall, enabling the necessary diffusion of molecular species involved in the fungal degradation mechanism of wood. Water may enter solid wood in either liquid form or in vapor fo...
W Willems
Combining MRI and X-ray CT to monitor fungal decay of plywood and OSB in a lab test
2022 - IRG/WP 22-20683
Bio-based building materials, such as wood and wood-engineered products, are susceptible to degradation by decay fungi. In-depth knowledge on the intricate material-fungus relationship as well as performance data for many bio-based building materials are still lacking, and especially knowledge on how a material’s structure and moisture properties affect the degradation process is missing. Althou...
L De Ligne, T Núñez Guitar, C Vanhove, J Van Acker, J Van den Bulcke
Using satellite-retrieved soil moisture data to model the decay risk of in-ground timber
2022 - IRG/WP 22-20689
Satellite-derived soil moisture data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) was extracted for a 9 x 9 km point grid over Europe. The data was then used as input to a dose-response wood decay model based on terrestrial microcosm (TMC) tests. The resulting hazard map plotted dose as an indicator of in-ground wood decay based on differences in annual temperature and soil moisture characteristic...
P B van Niekerk, M Schönauer, B N Marais, C Brischke
Impact of wetting agents on polyelectrolyte complex impregnation for wood fire-retardancy
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30768
Wood fire performance is a great concern in interior finishing due to the high risk of flame spread. To increase the use of wood in high building while ensuring the safety of building occupants, fire retardant (FR) treatments are required. Traditionally, two fireproofing strategies are employed: impregnation and coatings. They have been widely studied but they, respectively, are time and chemicals...
M Soula, J B Grenier, S Duquesne, F Samyn, V Landry
Steam Pre-conditioning Treatment Prior to Acetylation: Impact on Dimensional Stability, Moisture Response Behaviour, and White-Rot Fungal Resistance of Hevea brasiliensis and Mitragyna ciliata Wood
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40930
The effect of steam pre-conditioning treatment on the dimensional stability, moisture response behaviour, and durability against white-rot fungus P. chrysosporium of acetylated Hevea brasiliensis and Mitragyna ciliata wood species were assessed. Defect-free specimens of both species from the top, middle, and base positions were selected, prepared according to ASTM D143-09 & ASTM D-2017 standards a...
E Uchechukwu Opara, J Mayowa Owoyemi, J Adeola Fuwape
Surface chemical wood densification through in situ electron beam polymerization: description and dose study
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40933
Traditional wood chemical densification processes can be used to improve wood mechanical properties by increasing density of the material throughout its thickness. While mechanical surface densification has heavily been investigated, surface treatments involving impregnation of monomers remain unexplored. This study describes a new material, surface densified through lateral impregnation of acryla...
J Triquet, P Blanchet, V Landry
Comparative study of the properties of silicate coatings with different mineral pigments (titanium dioxide, iron (III) oxide, copper (II) oxide) on the surface of wood
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40936
Silicate coatings are attractive alternatives to conventional organic-based coatings for wood protection. In this work, silicate coatings were prepared with a potassium silicate binder modified with a methyl siliconate solution, and three types of mineral pigments titanium dioxide, iron (III) oxide and copper (II) oxide. The coatings were applied on beech wood and cured under ambient conditions. T...
A M Cheumani Yona, M Petrič
Premature adhesion failure of exterior wood coatings – The influence of substrate temperature at coating application and moisture accumulation during storage
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40937
The present study aimed at extending the knowledge about premature coating failures of industrially finished wood cladding. Two potential factors were studied: the influence of substrate temperature at coating application and moisture accumulation during storage on the adhesion of waterborne coating systems. In the first experiment, 4 batches of wood specimens were submitted to 4 different tempera...
U Hundhausen
Effect of nano-particle characteristics and concentration on UV protection of timber: A field exposure test
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40941
Wood has a well-known susceptibility to ultra-violet light degradation, leading to premature replacement. A variety of products have been developed to protect against this damage, but most provide less than 12 months of protection and must be regularly reapplied. Developing improved coatings would help reduce wood losses and reduce maintenance costs. Nano-particles have a variety of attractive pro...
T Yi, J J Morrell
The influence of thermal modification and surface charring to different levels on wettability of Norway spruce wood
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40942
The wood can alternatively be protected from water absorption by thermal modification and charring. Both techniques cause certain chemical and physical changes in the wood, the extent of which depends on the level of temperature applied. The objective of this study was to determine how the combination of charring to different levels and thermal modification affects the chemical, morphological, and...
J Žigon, C Gerardin, M E P Wålinder, P Gerardin
Effect of densification of Eucalyptus nitens and E. obliqua on moisture uptake, swelling, decay resistance, and fire performance
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40946
Some Australian Eucalyptus species that are abundantly available have low natural durability and poor resistance to fire. These same species are also extremely difficult to treat with preservatives or fire retardants using conventional pressure treatment methods due to a large proportion of refractory heartwood. The aim of this research was to understand whether thermo-mechanical densification had...
B Hassan, J J Morrell, F Wiesner, W Wu, B Belleville, K C Wood
Moisture sorption behaviour of poplar and thermally modified poplar using dynamic vapour sorption (DVS)
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40947
The moisture sorption behaviour of wood has a critical impact on service life. In Europe, softwood is mostly used to manufacture engineered wood products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) or glue-laminated timber (GLT or glulam). Yet fast-growing and widespread tree species such as hybrid poplar with or without modification, have potential to meet the increasing demand. This study shows the moi...
X Jiang, J Van den Bulcke, L De Boever, M Minsart, A Mignon, J Van Acker