Due to more restrictive toxicological requirements and increased ecological awareness of consumers, wood preservatives containing biocides are no longer desired on the market. Therefore, research on new environmentally friendly formulations is of great importance. One of the possible solutions is to develop new preservatives based on natural substances, which are harmless to humans, animals and the environment, while biologically active. The aim of the study was to develop new biocide-free preservative systems which increase wood resistance to wood-decaying fungi. The following silanes: [3-(2-Aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane (AATMOS), (Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTEOS), and (Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMOS); caffeine, natural oils and potassium carbonate were chosen as components of new protective formulations, which were planned to be an alternative for traditionally used biocides. Samples of three different wood species (pine, spruce, and poplar) were treated with the new preservative systems and exposed to brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana and white-rot fungus Coriolus versicolor according to EN113 or EN839 standard. The obtained results show that wood treated with the water-based formulation consisting of silanes and caffeine (2% caffeine + 5% AATMOS, 2% caffeine + 5% APTEOS) demonstrated the highest resistance to the test fungi. Wood mass loss after exposure to fungi was 1%. All wood species treated with this formulation achieved index 1 (“very resistant”) within durability class acc. to EN-350 standard.

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