One of the non-polluting processes that increase the natural durability of wood is a thermal treatment in an atmosphere poor in oxygen, producing what is normally denominated "retified wood". In this study the validity of a non-destructive technique (ultrasound) in order to determine the biodegradation suffered by wood across time has been studied. For this reason, the behavior of a wood species (poplar), submitted to thermal treatments of 220 to 260°C for differing time lenghts (5 to 20 hours), and placed in contact with the fungus Serpula lacrymans during five months of incubation, was analyzed. The results obtained effectively show that these treatments increase the natural life of the wood, which supposes an alternative and non-polluting method, that can be used in the wood preservation field.

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