Your search resulted in 710 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Effects of phosphoric acid and diammonium phosphate treatments on the physical and fire-retardant properties of five selected Nigerian wood species
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20713
Wooden products in buildings are major sources of fuel for fire outbreaks. Effects of phosphoric acid and diammonium phosphate treatments on the physical and fire-retardant properties of wood species commonly used in buildings were evaluated. The timber species utilized in this study were sourced from the sawmill sector located in Akure, Nigeria, encompassing Brachystegia laurentii, Khaya ivorensi...
J Owoyemi, T O Akinwamide, O M Ibrahim, E A Iyiola
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
Preservative properties of boron-treated paulownia wood
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20729
This research was performed to investigate the preservative retention properties of paulownia wood treated using boric acid/borax at mass ratio of 1:1.8. Different portion of paulownia wood (top, middle, bottom) were used as a sample throughout of this study. In the treatment process, the paulownia wood was dipped in the 1% boric acid/borax solution for 1, 24, 72, 120 and 240 hours to achieve requ...
T Khadiran, M A M Abdullah, S Lipeh
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
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
Assessment of hydrophobic properties of acetylated and furfurylated Korean wood species
2024 - IRG/WP 24-30812
To increase the utilization of Korean wood species, the hydrophobic properties of the most commonly used wood species in Korea were compared according to wood modification. Pinus densiflora (sapwood and heartwood) and Larix kaempferi (heartwood) were selected as test wood species, and Pinus radiata (sapwood) was selected as the control wood species. The wood modification was performed by acetylati...
S-M Yoon, Y-S Choi, H-M Lee, Y Park, W-J Hwang, S-K Jang
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
The durability and mechanical properties of 40 years old Black locust poles
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11042
This study investigates the durability and mechanical properties of 40-year-old black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) poles harvested from a vineyard in Slovenia. Wood from these poles was compared to recently harvested black locust wood to determine possible reuse options. Visual inspection, hyperspectral imaging, and laboratory tests were conducted to assess decay, density, mechanical properties, ...
M Humar, J Malik, J Levanic, D Krzisnik, E Kerzic, B Lesar
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
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
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
CIOL Wood - Scientific Innovations in Wood Modification for Enhanced Performance and Usage
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20743
CIOL® is a wood modification technology designed as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional wood preservatives. Utilising a biobased formulation based on sorbitol and citric acid, CIOL® enhances wood's chemical structure, improving its durability, stability, and resistance to decay. This paper provides an overview of the advancements made in CIOL® technology, including its improv...
E Larnøy, A Treu, M Diraison, M Smith, A Audouin, P T Lewandowski, J Biørnstad
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
Investigation of a commercial fire-retardant additive on particleboard properties
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20755
Fire resistance of wood-based panels is in addition to mechanical and sorption properties, an important property when considering its usability for construction applications. Increased fire resistance is achieved through fire retardant addition during panel production or by spraying fire-retardant on already finished panel. A potential downside of fire-retardant addition during panel production ca...
D Jones, S Medved, M Lawther
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
The impact of common fire retardancy salts and minerals on further properties of wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30821
Wood has become an increasingly important construction material. To ensure fire safety, fire retardants are widely applied. Recent research focuses on environmentally friendly fire retardants with strong fixation. Phosphate-based salts like diammonium hydrogen phosphate show high fire protection potential but are highly leachable due to their good water solubility. As a newer trend mineralisation ...
T Franke, T Volkmer
Effect of Deep Eutectic Solvent Pretreatment on Properties of Densified Wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30824
Densified wood is preferable for structural applications because of its excellent mechanical properties and sustainability, but the fixation of its compression deformation and the prevention of water-induced mechanical deterioration remain challenging. Herein, an eco-friendly and highly efficient method was designed for producing dimensionally-stable densified wood, including deep eutectic solvent...
Y Ran, W Wang, J Cao