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Wood furfurylation process and properties of furfurylated wood
2004 - IRG/WP 04-40289
The first processes for “furfurylation” of wood (wood modification with furfuryl alcohol) were developed several decades ago. Furfuryl alcohol is a renewable chemical since it is derived from furfural, which is produced from hydrolysed biomass waste. Over the last decade modernised processes for furfurylation of wood have been developed. These new processes are based on new catalytic systems a...
M Westin, S Lande, M Schneider


Suitability of cotton strip testing as a screening method for the development of wood preservative formulations
2003 - IRG/WP 03-20270
This paper outlines a simple and rapid test method for screening the efficacy of wood preservative formulations against microbiological attack using cotton strips. The method was evaluated against soft rot and was found to provide reliable information on the protection of lignocellulosic material against microbiological attack. The assessment is based on visual interpretation of decay and on a sim...
H Leithoff, I Stephan, H Härtner


A Comparison of the Performance of Related Copper Based Preservatives against Soft Rot
2010 - IRG/WP 10-30540
The performance of pine and beech wood treated with either a soluble copper + quat (ACQ type D) preservative system or a particulate copper + quat system was evaluated in unsterile soil using the European standard ENV 807 soft rot decay test procedure. In addition, to compare soft rot performance of soluble and particulate copper directly without the influence of co-biocides, beech and pine test...
M Ray, D Dickinson, K Archer


Durability testing of coconut shell according to ENV 807
2011 - IRG/WP 11-10761
Coconut shell was tested in the laboratory according to the European standard ENV 807 with three different soil types: compost soil, brown rot/soft rot rich soil and white rot/soft rot rich soil. Mass losses between 14 and 16 % were achieved with all three soils, indicating that the decay type is of little importance in the degradation process. Somewhat higher mass losses, 19-22 % were obtained fo...
J Jermer, A H H Wong, K Segerholm, T Nilsson


Copper leaching from copper-ethanolamine treated wood during exposure to terrestrial microorganisms
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30621
Copper-ethanolamine based wood preservatives are still the most important solutions for protection of wood in ground applications in Europe. Wood in ground is exposed to variety of organisms, which can act synergistically. In order to simulate these conditions in laboratory, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) specimens impregnated with copper-ethanolamine preservative of three different concentrations ...
M Humar, N Thaler, B Lesar


Impact of water holding capacity and moisture content of soil substrates on the moisture content of wood in terrestrial microcosms
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20662
Terrestrial microcosms (TMC) are frequently used for testing the durability of wood and wood-based materials as well as the protective effectiveness of wood preservatives. In contrary to experiments in soil ecology sciences, the experimental set-up is usually rather simple. However, for service life prediction of wood exposed in ground, it is of immanent interest to better understand the different...
C Brischke, F L Wegener


Copper-octanoate - a potential reference preservative replacement for CCA in field test standards?
2022 - IRG/WP 22-20688
Finding a CCA reference replacement for use in standardised test methods is of high priority since this chemical is being phased out and may in the near future be banned also for experimental and approval purposes. In this paper we assess the possibility to replace CCA reference preservative with an historical copper octanoate product. There is a huge amount of lab and field test data available fo...
R Ringman, M Westin, M Klamer, A Christof, F Friese


The effect of storage or simulated internal use on the durability of wood based panels to decay fungi
1997 - IRG/WP 97-20106
Wood based panels such as particleboard and medium density fibreboard are experiencing a steady increase in use, in areas from structural to decorative applications. Understanding the "natural" durability of these panel products against basidiomycete fungal decay is therefore of great importance. Various methods have been proposed or are under development to test the durability/susceptibility of v...
S F Curling, R J Murphy, J K Carey


Natural durability of European wood species for exterior use above ground
2003 - IRG/WP 03-10499
The main interest in using more timber for exterior constructions is to protect the environment, where wood is considered an environmentally friendly material. However, chemicals for wood protection are getting more and more restricted, consequently, the focus on the natural durability of wood is increased. Good, well-documented data on the durability of wood species in ground contact exist, which...
B Lindegaard, N Morsing


The resistance of wood coated with different solvent-borne paints against colonisation by decay fungi
2009 - IRG/WP 09-40468
This paper examines different solvent-borne paints characteristics and their decay resistance when applied on pine wood surface. It was determined by the standard ENV 839 procedure. The part of samples were subjected to accelerated ageing according to the EN 84 standard. The discussed commercial paint systems were typical stains or penetrating oil-based products, with or without biocides....
B Mazela, P Hochmańska


Durability of plywood made from soft- and hardwoods assessed according to ENV 12038 after artificial and natural ageing
2000 - IRG/WP 00-20191
Plywood was prepared from Norway Spruce and pure heartwood of Douglas Fir, Scots Pine, European Oak, False Acacia and Macoré using a phenol-formaldehyde glue. The panels of 38 mm in thickness were pre-conditioned according to the following procedures: a) 12 weeks storage at 20°C/65% rh, b) 2 weeks artificial weathering (with rain and UV-radiation at changing temperatures), and c) a natural weath...
H Leithoff, R-D Peek


Evaluation of the european standard ENV 12038 for durability testing of plywood
2001 - IRG/WP 01-20237
The latest improved version of the standard ENV 12038 drafted as document N44 by CEN Technical Committee 38 (WG 7 - WG 23) is used to evaluate the effect of wood composition and structure on plywood durability. The method described is based on the agar-block test of the EN 113 standard used for the determination of the efficacy of wood preservatives and the assessment of the natural durability of ...
J Van Acker, M Stevens, E De Clercq


The effect of alternative pre-conditioning procedures on the durability of wood based board materials to decay fungi
1997 - IRG/WP 97-20105
In the biological testing of wood based board materials it has been shown that exposure of boards in a closed vessel system may lead to inaccurate results due to the build up of volatile substances that inhibit the test fungi. It is thought that this is a transitory effect of freshly manufactured boards. In the European standard for testing fungal durability of board materials which is currently u...
S F Curling, R J Murphy, J K Carey


Modelling of copper emission fron treated wood leached according to NEN 7345 and ENV 1250.2
1996 - IRG/WP 96-20097
A series of water leaching experiments is carried out investigating pine and spruce treated and fixed using different copper-containing preservative solutions and process technologies. Water changes took place as prescribed in the Dutch standard NEN 7345 and the European test method ENV 1250.2, each of the leachates being chemically analysed for their copper content. Irrespective of the preservati...
G M F Van Eetvelde, S G L Michon, M Stevens


Service life prediction of plywood
2007 - IRG/WP 07-20367
Plywood is the wood based panel showing the best physical and mechanical properties for application under moist construction conditions. Appropriate physico-mechanical durability for exterior applications in transportation or construction systems can be guaranteed by assessment of the glue bond quality and mechanical characteristics. However, due to the fact that mainly non-durable wood species ar...
J Van Acker, J De Smet


Validity of above ground testing according to ENV 12037
2008 - IRG/WP 08-20379
The standard ENV 12037 for testing of treated and untreated wood (lap-joint) exposed above ground was issued in 1996 by The European Committee for Standardization. A draft for the development of the standard was presented by CEN-TC 38/WG 25/DOC N 076 in 2002. For a test to become valid the median rating of decay for untreated control replicates (Scots pine sapwood) must be equal or greater than ...
Ö Bergman, U Råberg, N Terziev