Your search resulted in 576 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Efficacy performance of Pea Extract as bait toxicant for termite control in Reunion Island
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11050
This study was carried out to determine the toxicity of Pisum sativum L., extract (Pea Extract) for the subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Yellow field peas (Pisum sativum L.) are particularly rich in protein. A solid-liquid hydroalcoholic extraction process was employed on the dried form of pea seeds to obtain one particular peptide PA1b (Pea Albumin 1, subunit...
J Vuillemin, D Messaoudi, A Robert, P da Silva
Studies on the treatability of selected pine species and corresponding efficacies of a new non-biocidal treatment
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20721
Wood decay caused by fungi may reduce the service life of wood in outdoor applications. Since moisture conditions in wood occur as one of the most crucial parameters for fungal decay, chemical modifications, which affect the latter, may increase the resistance of wood against such organisms. Usually, pine sapwood is easier to chemically treat than heartwood, as the former generally shows good perm...
T R da Silva Lins, L Emmerich, H Militz, P H Gonzales de Cademartoni, R J Klizke, M Pereira da Rocha
Influence of the substitution of phenol with lignin cleavage products in phenol-formaldehyde impregnation resins for wood modification on the fungal decay resistance and impregnation depth
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30805
The impregnation modification of wood with phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins increases the woods dimensional stability and resistance against fungal decay. However, to decrease the usage of non-renewable resources, the substitution of phenol has been a topic of scientific interest. Lignin is a currently underutilized resource with a chemical structure that contains phenolic units. For adhesive appli...
J Karthäuser, L Tarentino, A Treu, H Militz, G Alfredsen
A novel treatment for increasing UV stabuility of wood based on citric acid and urea
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30811
Wood, a fundamental material in the Built Environment, faces challenges related to durability and weathering, notably UV degradation leading to colour changes. This study explored a novel treatment method utilising citric acid and urea to enhance the UV stability of wood. The reaction between these compounds forms fluorescent species and insoluble nanoparticles upon thermal treatment. Two treatmen...
S Jué, A Scharf, C-F Lin, R Moutou Pitti, D Sandberg, D Jones
How personality traits influence the perception of fungal decay in a wooden cladding – A survey in three Modelling wood moisture content in outdoor conditions from measured data
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41002
This study examined perceptions of fungal decay damage on wooden cladding across Norway, Sweden, and Germany. The majority of respondents across all countries did not find the fungal decay damage in question acceptable, with the least acceptance in Norway. This could be due to Norway having the highest frequency of wooden residential buildings and the most experience with maintaining wooden claddi...
G W Gustavsen, G Alfredsen, P B van Niekerk, J Niklewski, C Brischke
Structural health assessment of wood - A comparison of methods for determining the spatial spread of fungal infestation in beams and rafters
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11051
Wood decay in buildings can cause severe economic losses, require comprehensive refurbishment, and removal of decayed wooden elements from the building. The latter aims at restoring the structural integrity of the component or the entire building through replacement, and at preventing the infestation from spreading further. In practice, components are cut out of the structure to such an extent tha...
C Brischke, N Sommerfeld, E Flohr, A K Mayer, S Bollmus
Towards eco-friendly fire retardant of wood - exploring fungal biomineralization
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11052
Timber is a strong, durable, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable building material but its combustibility represents a safety threat. Commonly used fire and flame retardants are often environmentally unfriendly, while safety cladding is labour intensive and covers the wood, decreasing the aesthetic appeal of the building. Mineralisation of wood with calcium carbonate has been shown to be a prom...
K Butina Ogorelec, A Gubenšek, A Sandak
Synthetic Oxalate/ß-glucan Fungal Extracellular Matrix Demonstrates Potential Inhibition of Extracellular Enzyme Diffusion into Wood Cell Walls, and Calls into Question the Role of Enzymes in Wood Decay
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11053
ß-glucan is the major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many fungi, including wood degrading fungi. Many of these species also secrete oxalate into the ECM. Our research demonstrates that ß-glucan forms a novel, previously unreported, hydrogel at room temperature with oxalate. This finding better explains the gel-like nature of the fungal ECM. Oxalate, at relatively low levels, was ...
B Goodell, G A Tompsett, G Perez-Gonzalez, K Mastalerz, M Timko
Fungal degradation of oak timber bridges
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11058
Wood is increasingly recognised as an eco-friendly building material, but its organic nature makes it vulnerable to degradation, especially in outdoor applications exposed to moisture. This study investigates wood-decaying fungi affecting oak timber bridges in Hanover, Germany. The study aimed to identify the fungal species using culture-independent methods and to examine the impact of poorly exec...
L Schrader, J Trautner, C Brischke
A comparison of methods – how to achieve a robust and conclusive durability classification of wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11063
The biological durability of wood is a relative and unitless size, and therefore wood species and wood-based materials are assigned to durability classes (DC). In Europe, such classes are based on a variety of measures, which can be absolute or relative to a non-durable reference species. The aim of efforts to develop and standardise methods for determining biological durability should be to ensur...
C Brischke
Durability and molecular analysis of fungal communities in wood exposed above ground
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11068
The objective of the study was to explore the durability of wood exposed above ground, comprising a wide diversity of wood species and treatments and extensive assessment data on wood durability in ongoing long-term testing. Larch species and Scots pine heartwood, two tropical species ntholo and ncurri and a number of treated wood by copper-based formulations and alternatives (silanes, spiroborate...
N Högberg, D Panov, G Daniel, N Terziev
Detecting wood-decay fungi in walls: a non-destructive approach with an electronic nose
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11070
Wood-decay fungi degrade the structural integrity and safety of wooden buildings, leading to potential hazards and reduced durability. Conventional detection methods, such as visual inspection and destructive sampling, are often impractical for concealed spaces, such as those within walls or beneath floors. These methods often require specialised training and costly equipment, making non-destructi...
M Suzuki, T Miyauchi, S Isaji, R Naganawa
Interaction of cellulolytic enzymes with fungal cell wall polysaccharides
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11071
Wood rotting fungi are the primary agents responsible for the decomposition of wood in natural environments. These fungi secrete a variety of enzymes to degrade the chemically and structurally resistant components of the wood cell wall. Some of these enzymes possess a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), which enhances enzymatic efficiency by increasing their affinity to the substrate. Previously, w...
K Fukabori, N Hattori, Y Kojima, R Iizuka, M Yoshida
Evaluating the Efficacy of Arnica Extract-Based Termiticide from Berkem Biosolutions® in Subterranean Termite Control: A Comprehensive Laboratory and Four-Year Field Study
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20731
Subterranean termites pose significant threats to wooden structures. This study evaluated the efficacy of a bio-based termiticide product containing Arnica extract from Berkem Biosolutions® in controlling subterranean termites in both laboratory and field conditions. The laboratory assessments utilised “the Bottle H” test unit, adhering to the Japan Wood Preservation Association (JWPA) standa...
D Messaoudi, S Khoirul Himmi, D Tarmadi, I Guswenrivo, S Yusuf
Potential co-valorization of pyrolysis tars from five wood species form Tunisia as wood preservatives bases: Chemical compositions, antifungal and anti-termite activities
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20739
The pyrolysis of five Tunisian wood species (Ceratonia siliqua, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus maidenii, Pinus pinea, and Quercus canariensis) was carried out in a custom-designed carbonisation reactor developed at the INRGREF's Wood Technology Section (Tunis, Tunisia). This process aimed to produce both char and pyrolysis by-products, particularly pyrolysis oils. The experiments were conduc...
M T Elaieb, J Valette, E Kiény, L Pignolet, S Ghariani, K Candelier
Functionalization of wood with nano-sized titanium dioxide – Efficacy against mould growth and effect on cell wall integrity
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20740
Nano-sized titanium dioxide (nano TiO2) is a photocatalytic compound that generates reactive radicals under UV radiation, which can inhibit microbial growth and impart self-cleaning properties. This effect has been widely utilised on materials such as glass or tiles. This study investigates the potential of nano TiO2 treatments to prevent mould growth on wood and their impact on cell wall integrit...
U Hundhausen, S Bollmus, L Ross
Citric acid/urea derivatives as an anti-discolouration treatment for wood surfaces
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20741
The exterior-use wood faces raining and sunlight exposure, which can cause property changes of the wood, such as the discolouration, dimensional instability, and biological attack. This article explores the use of citric acid and urea as surface protection of wood. The heating of citric acid and urea can result in the fluorescent carbon dots. These carbon dots can absorb UV light with the emission...
C-F Lin, O Myronycheva, D Jones, O Karlsson
Transmission poles - Analysis of causes of premature failure in Slovenia
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20745
The study focuses on analysing the causes of the premature collapse of wooden transmission poles in Slovenia, where there have been several cases of rapid fungal decomposition of poles despite the planned lifespan of 30 to 50 years. The poles were made of Scots pine wood and impregnated with a copper-ethanolamine wood preservative. The research aimed to assess the condition of standing poles and e...
M Humar, B Lesar, N Kregar, S Drnovšek
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Penflufen by using a Plant Booster
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20759
Penflufen (Preventol® A 800) is a modern pyrazole fungicide which has been approved by the US EPA for the use in wood protection in 2018. Penflufen is an inhibitor of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDHI). It is highly efficient against wood decaying basidiomycetes fungi. In the European standard efficacy test EN 113/ EN 84, penflufen is controlling both brown rot and white rot fungi at the low rete...
D Messaoudi, A Robert, P Meckler, T Jaetsch
Novel treatments of solid wood - studies into the use of imidazole and succinimide
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30817
Recent activities have focussed on the use of ionic liquids (ILs) in wood treatments and bioprocessing. Most ILs are based on imidazolium systems, so it was decided to investigate the potential of imidazole as a treatment, along with another heterocyclic compound, namely succinimide. Thus, modification of Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) with heterocyclic compounds, imidazole and succinimi...
D Jones, A Scharf, H Dernegård, J Oja, S Duarte, J Levanić, M Humar
Mineral-wood composites with improved fire properties and durability prepared through MgCO3-based mineralization
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30823
New mineral-wood composites that demonstrate improved fire properties and higher resistance to selected fungi have been prepared using an environmentally-friendly mineralisation process involving impregnation with an aqueous magnesium acetoacetate solution. MgCO3-based compounds are formed in situ, deep within the wood’s structure. We show that the new mineralisation method overcomes wood’s lo...
A Pondelak, N Knez, S D Škapin, M Humar, A S Škapin
Evaluation of oak bark extracts as bio-based preservative agents in wood protection
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30833
Bark represents a major by-product of the forestry sector and is often referred to low value uses such as combustion for energy, soil mulching or animal bedding. Nevertheless, bark contains a wide array of bioactive constituents, offering considerable potential for transformation into value-added wood protection agents. Developing sustainable wood treatments based on these natural compounds aligns...
R Herrera, A Selmanovic, F Poohphajai, C Peña, A Sandak
Effect of photodegradation on fungal colonization on wood during initial stage of brown-rot decay
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41024
Photodegradation and decay may happen simultaneously on wood under many exposure conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of photodegradation on fungal colonization during initial stage of brown-rot decay of wood. For this purpose, southern pine (Pinus spp.) wood was exposed to accelerated UV weathering for different durations, and then decayed by a brown rot fungus (Gloeophyllu...
Y Wang, Y Peng, J Cao
Fungal decay in cable car pylons in Svalbard - overview of results
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41026
A total of 212 iconic wooden cable car pylons were constructed for mining operations in Svalbard, significantly contributing to Longyearbyen's historical identity as a mining town. Fieldwork in Svalbard involved collecting wood samples from 22 of these pylons, targeting wood exposed both aboveground and ground proximity. Whilst the timber used in the constructions was assumed to be untreated Norwa...
G Alfredsen, M Altgen, M S Austigard, J Mattsson, M Nunez, L Ross, S Aarseth Tunstad, A Treu, I A Yakovlev, N Bjerregaard Pedersen
Biocomposites based on fungal mycelium and beech particles impregnated with BPCM (bio-phase change material) for thermal energy storage
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41034
The building sector is a major contributor to Europe's carbon emissions, and transition to a bio-based economy is essential for achieving long-term sustainability goals. The European Union has set ambitious targets for climate-neutral heating and cooling by 2050, which requires the widespread adoption of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. A key element in this transition i...
E Nigrone, F De Francesco, J Conti, M Jebrane, M Nazari, N Terziev, S Palanti