Decay and termite resistance of particleboard and MDF panels made from pinecones

IRG/WP 10-40493

C Köse, E Terzi, Ü Büyüksar, Erkan Avcı, Nadir Ayrılmış, S Nami Kartal, Y Imamura

Particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) panels were produced by using pinecone from stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) tress and wood particles from pine and beech wood at various ratios. Specimens from the panels were subjected to slightly modified soil-block tests according to AWPA E10-06 standard method by using two brown-rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Postia placenta and two white rot fungi, Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus ostreatus for 12 weeks. Specimens were also subjected to the subterraneas termites, Coptotermes formosanus based on JIS K 1571 standard test method for 3 weeks. All particleboard and MDF specimens including control specimens without pinecone showed better performance against the two brown fungi tested in comparison with the white rot fungi. Similar mass losses were obtained in the specimens exposed to the white rot fungi. Mixing effect of pinecone ratio in the furnish on decay resistance was observed in particleboard and MDF specimens subjected to the brown-rot fungi; however, mass losses were gradually decreased as pinecone ratio in the furnish increased. This trend was hardly seen in MDF specimens exposed to P. ostreatus. No increased resistance was observed in the specimens exposed to the termites. In some cases, specimens containing pinecone were resulted in more mass losses compared to control specimens.


Keywords: particleboard, MDF, pinecone, decay resistance, termite resistance

Conference: 10-05-09/13 Biarritz, France


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