Your search resulted in 3427 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Comparative study on the efficacy of biobased wood preservative over conventional wood preservatives against fungi and termites
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30761
The current focus of wood preservation research is on developing wood preservatives from natural and environmentally compatible compounds for industrial application. Liquefaction of wood is one of the promising approaches to utilize woody waste where the wood powder is converted into a chemically active liquid with the help of a liquefying agent like phenol, cresol, plant-based solvent as CNSL and...
A Kumar, A John, B N Hazarika
A novel wood preservation technology improving durability and water-related properties
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40926
A newly developed silicone oil (Archroma Management GmbH, Switzerland) was tested for wood modification purposes. Scots pine sapwood was treated with aqueous solutions of this silicone oil and showed a penetration of the modification agent into the wood cell wall. Both, biological durability and moisture-related properties, experienced significant improvements by the modification. Besides, the mod...
L Emmerich, H Militz, M Vila
The Resistance of Some Commercially Thermally Modified American Hardwoods to Termites and Fungi
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40944
Thermally Modified Wood (TMW) is now being produced in the United States but there are few data on the durability of these materials. In this study, commercially-produced thermally modified yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), red maple (Acer rubrum), and white ash (Fraxinus americana) were evaluated for fungal and termite resistance. The resistance of the three TMW species against Gloeophyllu...
B Cortes, B Bond, A Taylor, J Lloyd
Durability of thermotreated Pinus sylvestris and Eucalyptus nitens against wood decay organisms
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40949
One of the alternative treatments to avoid the application of biocides is thermal modification of wood, which increases the durability of wood against attack by wood decay organisms. The durability of Pinus sylvestris and Eucalyptus nitens thermotreated at 180 and 212 ºC, was studied. The results show that thermotreatment against wood decay fungi in P. sylvestris is slightly more effective than i...
M T Troya, S M Santos, L Robertson, N Pérez-Molina, V Baños, A Dieste
Joints design considerations in indoor high humidity conditions
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40950
In recent years, a number of cases of degradation by wood destroying fungi have been detected in covered timber structures such as pools, wineries, bathrooms, etc. – in fact, any building where indoor air may reach high humidity values during certain periods of time.
The origin of this kind of decay was not related to water leaks, but to the condensation of the water vapor over the steel connec...
A Lozano, D Lorenzo, M Alonso, F Álvarez, J E Martínez
Durability of thermally modified western hemlock lumber against wood decay fungi
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40954
The chemical modification of wood is gaining popularity as a treatment to increase wood durability in the United States. Further standardization and testing of thermally modified North American species is needed to optimize the production of thermally modified products from regionally available resources. This work measures the impact of thermal modification of western hemlock lumber durability ag...
G Presley, J Cappellazzi, I Eastin
Evaluation of Decay Resistance for the Larch Wood Heat-treated with Superheated Steam
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40956
Heat-treatment of wood is a process that involves applying heat ranging 160–260°C to improve its physico-mechanical properties and resistance against wood rot fungi. The level of the changes in the wood properties by heat-treatment differs depending on the temperature and duration of heat-treatment, as well as the types of heat transfer media used for heat-treatment. The heat-treatment on wood ...
Y Park, S-M Yoon, H Kim, W-J Hwang
Natural durability of 9 tropical species suitable for round wood timber building: fungi and termites laboratory screening tests
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11013
In numerous tropical forest species, wood properties are poorly described and wood is under-valorized. Especially very few is known about small diameter trees although they may be used, directly as round wood, in construction timber building. A selection of abundant species was done and characterization tests were performed to assess their usability as building material. The aim of this work was t...
M Leroy, K Candelier, J Damay, J Bossu, R Lehnebach, M-F Thevenon, J Beauchene, B Clair
Morphological observation of wood at the early stages of decay in brown rot and white rot
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11020
Wood rotting fungi, the fungal species causing biodeterioration for wood building, are generally classified into white-rot, brown-rot and soft-rot fungi based on their decay modes. Since white-rot and brown-rot fungi are known to reduce wood strength significantly, it is important to clarify the mechanisms of their wood degradation. White-rot fungi reduce wood strength as the decay progress and de...
R Tsukida, T Hatano, Y Kojima, Y Horikawa, S Nakaba, R Funada, M Yoshida
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
Comparison of culturable fungi found on two types of modified wood cladding
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11025
Modified woods are rapidly gaining popularity in the United States and are appearing on more public buildings. Because these are biocide-free products, they can support the growth of non-wood degrading fungi on their surfaces, many of which produce dark pigments and deface the cladding. Even growth of dark pigmented fungi on modified woods yields an even grey-black color, giving the materials a we...
G Presley, J Cappellazzi, B Held, R Blanchette
Influence of weathering of wood surfaces before and after treatment with iron(II) sulphate
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30786
Outdoor wood is exposed to various factors that cause the wood to grey or age. The ageing processes can vary greatly depending on the exposure. Parts of the wood that are not exposed to external factors, e.g. under the eaves, are less exposed and the ageing process is therefore slower. This can be accelerated by solutions based on iron ions. In this way, the wood greys quickly and evenly. However,...
B Lesar, M Humar, F Osvald
Research on gaseous COS degradation by brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11033
Physiological studies of wood rotting fungi have mostly focused on the metabolism of carbon and nitrogen sources, which constitute the dominants components of wood. On the other hand, despite the physiological importance of trace elements such as sulfur, studies on their acquisition sources and metabolic pathways are limited. Until now, wood rotting fungi have been thought to utilize slight amount...
R Iizuka, R Tsukida, Y Katayama, M Yoshida
Cellulose nanomaterials in growth media for wood decay fungi
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11035
Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were investigated as a partial substitution for agar in growth media for wood decay fungi. Radial growth measurements of eight basidiomycete fungi were taken on solid growth media with and without CNFs. Additionally, fungal strain virulence was evaluated using the European CSN Standard EN 113-2 wood decay durability test. The inclusion of CNFs did not significantly aff...
K M Ohno, R A Arango, R Sabo, C M Clemons, G T Kirker, A B Bishell
Cellulose nanomaterials in growth media for wood decay fungi
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11035
Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were investigated as a partial substitution for agar in growth media for wood decay fungi. Radial growth measurements of eight basidiomycete fungi were taken on solid growth media with and without CNFs. Additionally, fungal strain virulence was evaluated using the European CSN Standard EN 113-2 wood decay durability test. The inclusion of CNFs did not significantly aff...
K M Ohno, R A Arango, R Sabo, C M Clemons, G T Kirker, A B Bishell
On the use of miniaturized wood specimens in fungal decay experiments – mini-blocks versus EN 113 test specimens
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11044
Preliminary evaluation and classification of wood durability against decay fungi using laboratory monoculture experiments has been a longstanding practice because these tests offer quicker results than field tests. Various methods, including miniaturized specimen formats and different incubation periods, have been explored to expedite decay processes and assess wood preservation efficacy. The 'min...
C Brischke, G Alfredsen
A novel cellulose-binding domain from the brown-rot fungus that can be used to evaluate cellulose in wood
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11046
Wood-rotting basidiomycetes are the primary microorganisms that decay wood in nature. They are classified as white-rot fungi and brown-rot fungi by the difference in decaying types. White-rot fungi secrete a variety of cellulolytic enzymes during wood degradation. These enzymes often have an additional cellulose-binding domain (CBD) that adsorbs to the cellulose surface and localizes the catalytic...
Y Kojima, N Sunagawa, S Tagawa, T Hatano, S Nakaba, M Aoki, M Wada, K Igarashi, M Yoshida
Potential of heartwood extracts as wood preservatives combined with linseed oil in 8-year above-ground and in-ground field trials
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20719
The current study assessed the efficacy of heartwood extracts from Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrus deodara, and Pinus roxburghii, combined with linseed oil, as protectants for two non-durable wood species against termites and decay fungi. Stakes measuring 45.7 × 1.9 × 1.9 cm and blocks measuring 12.5 × 3.75 × 2.5 cm of the sapwood of southern pine (Pinus sp.) and cottonwood (Populus ...
M E Mankowski, G T Kirker, B Hassan
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
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
Xerophilic mould fungi on new and historic wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11056
An examination of mould fungi in 35 medieval and ten 18th Century buildings shows mould growth to varying degrees on different surfaces. The analyses also show a rapid development of mould fungi on certain wooden surfaces in recent years.
A significant difference in the growth between new and old wood is the clearly more extensive growth and different species composition of mould fungi on new wo...
J Mattsson, M S Austigard
Durability to wood decay fungi and subterranean termites of Quercus pyrenaica Wild
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11066
The use of wood has added value since it is renewable, biodegradable, and a recyclable material. For this reason, evaluating its natural durability is essential when establishing the level of protection required, depending on the designated end use. Natural durability is defined as the intrinsic resistance of wood against the attack of destructive organisms. There are standardised methods to estim...
S Santos, M T Troya, L Robertson, S Gutierrez, G Caballe, J L Villanueva
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