Your search resulted in 293 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
A new approach to wood protection: Potential of biologically synthesised CuO and ZnO nanoparticle formulation as a wood preservative
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30758
Even though metal nanoparticles are effective in protecting wood, they are less preferred, as they are synthesised using methods which are expensive and are not environmentally friendly. Biological synthesis of nanoparticles using plants, fungi, yeast, bacteria and viruses, has been accepted as an alternative approach and is referred to as green synthesis. Utilization of biologically synthesised n...
Shiny K S, R Sundararaj, N Mamatha
Effect of nanoparticle impregnation on the biological durability of wood
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30772
This study evaluated the efficacy of five different nanoparticles (zinc-oxide, zinc-borate, silver, copper-oxide, copper-borate) applied with different concentrations against the brown rot Coniophora puteana and the white rot Coriolus versicolor. The generally effective nanoparticle treatments were the combinations containing borate in its chemical structure. However, only zinc-oxide and silver na...
M Bak, R Németh
Biological assessment of bio-based phase change materials in wood for construction applications
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40935
Solid wood can serve multi-functionality for energy savings in buildings. The study reveals the results of bio-deterioration and degradation of solid Scots pine wood used to incorporate single or multicomponent fatty acid mixtures as bio-based phase change materials (BPCMs). The sapwood samples were impregnated with capric acid (CA), methyl palmitate (MP), lauryl alcohol (LA) and a mixture of coco...
S Palanti, A Temiz, G Köse Demirel, G Hekimoğlu, A Sari, M Nazari, J Gao, M Jebrane, T Schnabel, N Terziev
Biological durability for novel composites manufactured from green materials
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40960
Flax and Jute fabrics were used as reinforcements with polyester resin to form composite skins while poplar particleboard was used as a core for making composite sandwich structures by applying vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technique. Mechanical, physical, and biological properties of these novel green composite sandwich structures were evaluated. The results showed that the propo...
A S O Mohareb, A H Hassanin, A A Badr, K T S Hassan, R Farag
Effect of volatile organic compounds produced by wood rotting fungi on mycelial growth
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11023
Microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria produce volatile organic compounds (so-called MVOCs: Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds) as metabolites. Some MVOCs have been found to be biologically active, for example inhibition of spore germination, and when fungi of different species encounter each other, the MVOCs pattern change, suggesting that MVOCs play a role as a mediator for biological intera...
S Horikawa, R Konuma, M Yoshida
Field durability testing of wood above ground - Part 1: 15 years’ experience with the Bundle method
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20695
A ‘jack of all trades’ method for above-ground wood durability testing has been sought for decades, but until now no method has found its way into standardization. The method of choice shall be applicable for untreated and treated wood – ideally also for wood composites. It shall be reproducible, objective, fast, easy, and inexpensive. Finally, it shall provide high predictive power.
This s...
C Brischke, G Alfredsen, L Emmerich, M Humar, L Meyer-Veltrup
Field durability testing of wood above ground - Part 2: The full guideline of the Bundle method
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20696
To determine the biological durability of wood above ground, numerous approaches for test methods have been pursued and tried out in the field in the past. So far, no method has managed to find its way into a European standard. During the last 15 years, experience with the Bundle method has been gained. As described in Part 1 of this paper, the method is recommended as a suitable tool for determin...
C Brischke, G Alfredsen, L Emmerich, M Humar, L Meyer-Veltrup
Biological durability and wood-water interactions of sorbitol and citric acid modified wood – Effects on the expected service life
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40960
A high level of research activities on sorbitol and citric acid (SorCA) modified wood has been recognized in Europe over the last few years. As this treatment is close to entering an industrial-scale production, it is of interest to investigate how such treated wood performs upon long-term outdoor exposure. Hence, in this study Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood was modified with aqueous sol...
K Kurkowiak, L Emmerich, H Militz
New wood-modification process based on grafted urethane groups: Durability of carbamamylated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40974
Substituting commonly used toxic preservatives with wood modification treatments can make the wood material less prone to water and moisture uptake. This approach favours a more sustainable protection of wood against biodegradation. In this study, Scots pine sapwood was full-cell impregnated with an aqueous solution of urea (30%), dried at 40°C for 24h, and subsequently heat-treated at 150°C for...
C-F Lin, O Myronycheva, O Karlsson, D Jones, D Sandberg
Relationships between deterioration part and structural performance in wooden houses
2023 - IRG/WP 23-50376
Based on the survey examples, there are four patterns of deterioration that tend to occur in plywood bearing walls of wooden houses in Japan. The first is a pattern in which wall is in a whole deterioration. It is a no damage wall or test specimen. The second is a pattern in which only the sill is deteriorating. It is caused by moisture or termites from ground to the base. In addition, there is a ...
Y Ota, H Ishiyama, S Okamoto
Investigating moisture dynamics and fungal decay risk: integrating X-ray CT visualization and simulation benchmarks through a Fungal Control Unit
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11045
Wood is susceptible to fungal attack and over time the structural integrity can be compromised. This risk is of course strongly related to moisture dynamics, as moisture is needed for fungal growth. While existing methodologies, such as lab and field tests, provide valuable insights into wood decay, they often fall short in replicating real-life conditions, particularly within the intricacies of t...
J Van den Bulcke, J Van Acker, M Delbeke, A Blommaert, N Van Den Bossche, M Steeman, L De Ligne
Changes in decay risk of wood in ground contact over Europe, from analysis of historic climate conditions
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41008
Changing climate conditions will affect global temperature and precipitation patterns, shifting some geographical areas into states that are more suitable for fungal wood decay. Climate normals, which are taken over a 30-year period, capture vast spatial and temporal variations in these conditions and comparing these can show changes over time. Importantly, being able to identify locations that ha...
P B van Niekerk, B N Marais, G Alfredsen, C Brischke
Mitigating the risk of decay in CLT buildings affected by trapped construction moisture using a diffusible borate preservative
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20735
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) is also known as a mass timber construction material. It is fabricated by gluing together multiple layers of timber lamellae with each layer oriented perpendicular to the one below it. This enhances strength, stability and dimensional rigidity. CLT is seen as an excellent ‘low carbon’ alternative to using steel and concrete and is growing in popularity as a sustain...
J R Williams
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
Enhancing strength, fire and biological resistance of wood through structural and chemical modification
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30831
Wood, a renewable and versatile biopolymer, has been a fundamental material to construct traditional and advanced composites for building construction, furniture, transparent composites, and various other applications. Despite its many advantages, including its aesthetic appeal, workability, and relatively low cost, wood possesses inherent limitations such as susceptibility to biological, flame an...
R Abouzeid, M S Koo, Q Wu
Experimental characterizing of liquid water uptake and release – key to understand moisture-induced decay risk analysis
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41020
Wood can absorb water vapour (sorption) or liquid water (capillarity). Moisture from liquid water (rain, spray water) is often a problem for the performance of wood products used in outdoor structures. Wood is prone to biodegradation when is it too moist for too long periods. Experimental studies that allow conclusions to be drawn about the practical use of wood water uptake are limited due to the...
M Nopens, J T Benthien, J Trautner, C Brischke
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
Non-destructive methods for field assessment of wood biodeterioration in hardwood trailer decks exposed to tropical environments
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41039
Apitong (Dipterocarpus spp.), an increasingly rare tropical hardwood from the rainforest in Southeast Asia, has long been used as decking materials for open-bed trailers and trucks across North America. As the natural population of Apitong trees steadily declines, there is an urgent need to find sustainable, domestically sourced alternatives for trailer decking. A recent project evaluated the perf...
X Wang, X Xie, G Kirker, C A Senalik