Durability of acetylated Radiata pine: Laboratory tests and performance in practice

IRG/WP 20-40899

K Jacobs, W Scheiding, B Weiß

Wood acetylation is an established process to enhance biological durability and dimensional stability of lower valuable wood species without the use of biocides. Acetylated Radiata pine (ACCOYA® wood) has been on the market for more than 10 years now, starting in 2007. Numerous lab tests have confirmed the high durability of acetylated Radiata pine. Here, additional data with four Radiata pine assortments of different origin and quality are shown. All tested variants achieved durability class 1 in both the basidiomycete test and soft rot test according to EN 350. Thereby, no significant differences of the durability characteristics between and within the assortments were found, even though different initial wood qualities were used. Since acetylated wood has not been on the market for that long, less is known about the long-term performance in practice although several long-term field tests are running. As a result of an inspection and evaluation of seven Accoya® constructions exposed outdoors in the Netherlands and Germany over a period of 1 to 10 years, the high dimensional stability and durability against wood-destroying fungi could be confirmed. From the perspective of the authors of this study, the results of the investigation confirm the results of standard lab tests and practical experiences, where the durability class 1 "very durable" (EN 350) was determined.


Keywords: acetylation, biological durability, wood-destroying fungi, basidiomycetes, soft rot fungi, MOE loss

Conference: 20-06-10/11 IRG51 Webinar


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