Resistance of mechanically densified and thermally post-treated pine sapwood to wood decay fungi

Abstract

This paper evaluated the density and biological resistance of pinewood samples modified with thermo-mechanical densification and thermal post-treatment. The samples were densified with 20 and 40% compression ratios at either 110 or 150 °C. The thermal post-treatment was then applied to the pine samples at 185 and 212 °C for 2 h. These samples were exposed to white-rot (Trametes versicolor) and brown-rot (Coniophora puteana) fungi for twelve weeks and the resulting mass loss was determined. In the densified samples, the effects of the compression ratio on T. versicolor-initiated mass loss and of the compression temperature on C. puteana-initiated mass loss were found to be significant. The mass loss was less in the samples compressed at 150 °C with the 40% ratio, while the highest mass loss was observed in the undensified samples. In the thermally post-treated samples, the resistance to both decay fungi was significantly increased with the increase of the treatment temperature. The mass loss in the thermally post-treated samples at 212 °C after T. versicolor and C. puteana fungi testing was reduced by 73 and 67%, respectively. However, the effect of the densification processes on decay resistance in the thermally post-treated samples was insignificant.