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Adhesion and performance of exterior wood coatings on chemically and thermally modified wood – Results from 5.5 years outdoor exposure
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40964
Non-durable softwood and hardwood species were treated with the water-soluble cyclic N-methylol compounds 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and methylated DMDHEU. One half of the modified specimens were coated with a waterborne acrylic coating system prior a natural weathering for 5.5 years according to EN 927-3 (2020). By frequent evaluations, the impact of chemical modifications ...
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


Starch modified with silanes – high hydrophobic surface treatment for wood protection
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40981
The great potential of silanes for starch modification and their utility as surface wood protection is still not sufficiently assessed. The work aimed to analyze the crosslinking process's effect on starch modification with silane and tested the hydrophobic properties of surface-treated wood. The starch treatment was modified with methyltrimethoxysilane or N-octyltriethoxysilane. SEM-EDX with a cr...
W Perdoch, M Bajstok, B Mazela, I Siemińska, B Peplińska


Failure characteristics of thermally modified poplar wood subjected to mechanical tests
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40983
Poplar (Populus spp.) are among the fastest growing timber species and have been widely planted for use in plywood, composites, pallets, furniture components and paper production. However, the low density of the wood limits many structural applications and the wood has little resistance to biodegradation. Thermal modification represents one approach to improving durability by changing the moistur...
E Bari, M Ghorbanian Far, N Moradi, J J Morrell, G Daniel, B Mohebby, R Hosseinpourpia, M Humar


Short-term absorption of water and coatings on thermally modified blue-stained spruce wood
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40984
The importance of wood has been increasing in the last decades. Among conifers, predominantly spruce (Picea abies) wood is often used in building constructions in Europe. Namely for construction and facades of buildings, decking and fences. Due to the increased public concerns about biocides, alternative techniques for protection, such as thermal modification and protection by construction, are ga...
R Hasanagic, M Bahmani, M Humar, L Fathi, L Cai


Properties of thermal modified wood of Pinus pinaster and Pinus radiata from Galicia, Spain
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40985
This article provides the results of a research about the properties of thermal modified wood of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.), radiata pine (Pinus radiata D.Don) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from Galicia, Spain, thermal treated in the industrial vacuum-heat autoclave plant of FINSA group in Galicia, Spain. These three pine wood species are used in different solid products but due th...
D Lorenzo, J Benito, J Arancón, J Crespo


Characterization of cell wall morphology and water-soluble extractives in Japanese larch decayed by white-pocket-rot fungi
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11034
Porodaedalea chrysoloma (Fr.) Fiasson & Niemelä is a basidiomycete that can cause white-rot decay in Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) heartwood. P. chrysoloma is a white-rot fungus with a unique pattern that causes white-pocket-rot in the xylem of Japanese larch. However, the mechanism by which P. chrysoloma yields the pattern of white-pocket-rot in Japanese larch heartwood remains unclear. Thus,...
Y Mori, H Arai, T Ito, H Hashitani, K Yamashita, Y Ota, M Kiguchi


EMC as a quality control parameter for thermally modified wood
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20720
While standards for quality performance of treated wood have been in place for many years, none have been developed for modified wood such as thermally modified wood (TMW). Only in one case has TMW been listed in 2018, by the Nordic Wood Preservation Council (NWPC). A key component of a quality system is its control parameters, i.e. the metrics that are to be measured and controlled. Existing m...
P Klaas, J T Lauridsen


Exploring bio-based chemicals in the residual stream from the thermal wood modification process
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30799
Numerous chemical-free processes have emerged in the wood processing industry to enhance the durability and optimize the service life of wooden elements exposed to exterior conditions. One such method, the hygrothermolytic modification process, patented as FirmoLin®, represents an industrial treatment for thermal modification of wood. This involves subjecting solid wood to a pressurized unsaturat...
R Herrera, W Willems, W Pajerski, A Selmanović, A Sandak


Properties of thermal modified wood of Pinus pinaster, Pinus radiata and Pinus sylvestris from Galicia, Spain
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30800
This paper provides the results of a research about the properties of thermal modified wood of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.), radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from Galicia, Spain, thermal treated in the industrial vacuum-heat autoclave plant of FINSA group in Galicia, Spain. These three pine wood species are used in different solid products but due the...
D Lorenzo, J Benito, J Arancon, J Crespo


Natural weathering of modified pine and Eucalyptus woods by surface charring
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30801
Within various wood modification techniques, surface charring is anticipated to extend the lifespan of wooden components in building facades; however, visual deterioration of charred cladding materials has become a notable concern. This study, conducted through international collaboration, aimed to assess the resistance of bio-based facade materials to weathering in the Turkish climate. The natura...
E E Soyturk, E N Kavakli, S N Kartal, C M Ibanez


Developing thermal-energy storage systems based on Kraft lignin-glyoxal and organic phase-change material modified wood
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30810
This study investigated the use of modified wood as a thermal-energy storage material through the integration of paraffin-based phase-change materials (PCMs). The objective was to evaluate the influence of Kraft lignin-glyoxal prepolymer on the properties of wood modified with PCMs. The implementation of the modified wood involved preparing PCM emulsions, synthesizing lignin-glyoxal prepolymer, an...
C-F Lin, O Karlsson, D Jones, D Sandberg


Field test method for wood in above ground situation - The full CEN/TC 38 guideline for the Sandwich method. Part 1 - Determining the relative protective effectiveness of a wood preservative
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41013
The attached draft CEN Technical Specification (i.e. pre-EN standard) has been drafted in order to become an alternative to the Lap-Joint test method (EN 12037:23) for testing of wood in above ground situation and the draft CEN/TS Part 1 is specifically intended for determining the relative protective effectiveness of a wood preservative. The new draft CEN/TS is based on a test method developed by...
M Westin, R Ringman, A Christof, F Friese


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


Revealing the degradation process of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) by different decay fungi
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11060
Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is the main bamboo species for engineering; however, it is highly susceptible to various fungi during use. In this study, four prevalent decay fungi, including two brown rot fungi and two white-rot fungi, were used as the test fungi to investigate the changes in structure and chemical composition of Moso bamboo samples at different incubation times in order to be...
J Xue, D Cui, M Zhou, J Cao


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


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


Exploration of flavoenzymes from the wood rotting basidiomycete Armillaria cepistipes using protein structure prediction
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11077
Wood rotting basidiomycete is one of the major organisms that cause wood deterioration. Oxidoreductases secreted by those fungi are known to play key roles in the mechanism of wood cell wall degradation. As certain extracellular oxidoreductases including lignolytic peroxidases and lytic-polysaccharide monooxygenases from wood rotting fungi utilise hydrogen peroxide as a substrate in their catalyti...
Y Tamaru


Enhanced Flame Retardancy in Wood via In Situ Polymerization of Phosphorus-Containing Ionic Liquids
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20736
Wood, a ubiquitous material in furniture and construction, is limited by its natural flammability. Existing wood flame retardant technologies are often ineffective and lack environmental sustainability. Ionic liquids (ILs), known for their non-flammability and non-volatility, offer a green solvent solution to these challenges. In this study, we synthesized a novel phosphorus-containing, polymerisa...
J Jiang, Y Wu, J Luo, W Qu


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


The Impact of Drying Techniques on the Quality of Thermally Modified Wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30813
The wood drying technique applied before loading the dry wood into the ThermoWood® kiln may affect its properties. For this purpose, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) boards were first dried through three drying methods, including radio-frequency/vacuum (RF/V), mild, and moderate conventional drying, and then loaded into a ThermoWood® kiln for thermal modification at 212 °C for 3 hours according to...
M Ghorbanian Far, N Sharifi, A Nikoutadbir, A Tarmian, M Humar


Decay resistance of thermally modified Eucalyptus grandis in closed and open systems
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30815
Thermal modification has been successfully used to improve the durability of Eucalyptus wood from fast-growing forests. Although it is the most common type of modification process, there are some fields for studies on thermally modified wood, particularly about the comparison between processes in closed and open systems. This work aimed to analyse the effect of thermal modification in closed and o...
D C Batista, A C Oliveira Rupf, M Wentzel, C Brischke, H Militz


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


Process Development in Continuous Wood Densification and the Influence of Ionic Liquids on Set-Recovery and Mechanical Properties
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30827
The densification of wood significantly enhances its mechanical properties, making low-density species more viable for high-performance applications. However, challenges such as set-recovery (SR) and production speed hinder large-scale adoption. This study investigates continuous surface densification using a custom-built belt press and examines the effect of chemical pre-treatment with ionic liqu...
D Jones, A Scharf, B Neyses, D Sandberg


Investigation of the Correlation between Blue-Light and Transparent Wood and Its Impact on Eye cells
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41042
The widespread use of LED blue light (400–480 nm) in modern life has raised concerns due to its potential risks to eye health, including retinal cell damage and vision degradation. Transparent wood, a renewable material with unique optical properties and environmental benefits, shows promising potential for blue light protection applications. This study investigates the modulation of lignin cont...
J-Y Jiang, C W Lin, P-Y Kuo


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