Biological resistance of Zn-Al metal-coated wood

Sapwood blocks of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) and akamatsu (Pinus densiflora) were coated with Zn/Al (45%/55%) alloy metal at thicknesses of 20–30, 90–100, and 180–200m by an arc spray gun. They were served for choice and no-choice tests with a brown rot fungus (Fomitopsis palustris), a white rot fungus (Trametes versicolor), and a pest termite (Coptotermes formosanus). Coating thickness of 20–30m was enough to prevent attacks by both test fungi, whereas 90–100m thickness was needed for protection against termite attacks. Exfoliation of the coating layers was observed during the wet-dry process in the tests. The results suggested that Zn-Al alloy metal coating treatment was applicable as an alternative method for the protection of timbers from biological deterioration when combined with an additional treatment creating a vapor barrier.This research was presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998     

Leachability,decay, and termite resistance of wood treated with metaborates

The formation of insoluble metaborates in wood was investigated by impregnating the wood with borax and metallic salts, after which their properties (e.g., leachability in running water and biological resistance) were evaluated. The solubility of three metaborates in acidic solutions was also evaluated. Double-diffusion treatment was carried out to form the precipitates of metaborates in sapwood specimens of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) at room temperature. Water-saturated wood specimens were first impregnated by a saturated borax solution and then diffuse-penetrated with Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, or Pb²⁺ solution. The precipitates of the three metaborates in the wood proved to be insoluble or hardly soluble in water by the leaching test. With the decay test using a brown-rot fungus (Fomitopsis palustris) and a white-rot fungus (Trametes versicolor) and with the termite test using a virulent subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus), the metaborate-treated woods showed generally good decay and termite resistance with negligible mass loss of the specimens. Particularly, the lead metaborate formed in the wood provided superb biological resistance against decay and termite attacks. In addition, the precipitates of these metaborates were found to be soluble in acidic solution, suggesting a way to remove these chemicals from wood when disposing of waste materials.     

Preservative properties of vapor-boron-treated wood and wood-based composites

The treatability of wood (sapwood ofCryptomeria japonica D. Don) and wood-based composites (particleboard, waferboard, medium-density fiberboard, plywood) with vapor-boron was good, and the treated materials proved to be resistant to decay fungi and subterranean termites in laboratory bioassays. No difference in effectiveness was noted between vapor-boron and liquid-boron treatment of wood. Toxic threshold values determined for solid wood were 0%–0.24%, 0.26%–0.51%, and 0.26%–0.51% BAE (boric acid equivalent), respectively, against the white-rot fungusTrametes versicolor (L.: Fr.) Pilat, the brown-rot fungusFomitopsis palustris (Berk. et Curt.), and the subterranean termiteCoptotermes formosanus Shiraki. A concentration of less than 1% BAE seemed sufficient to control biological attacks on composites, although the toxic limits could not be determined more accurately because of the tested range of boron retention. High boron retention was needed to meet the performance requirements for slow-burning materials when a fire-retardant agent was not incorporated into the glue line.     

Strength,decay and termite resistance of oriented kenaf fiberboards

The development of oriented fiberboards made from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) and their suitability as a construction material has been investigated. Three different types of boards consisting of five layers with individual orientations were prepared using a combination of low molecular weight and high molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin for impregnation and adhesion purposes. Additional boards with the same structure were prepared using high molecular weight PF resin only. The mechanical properties of the boards have been examined as well as their resistance against fungal decay and termite attack. All kenaf fiberboards showed elevated mechanical properties compared with medium-density fiberboard made from wood fibers, and showed increased decay and termite resistance. Differences in the decay and termite resistance between the board types were caused by the presence of the low molecular weight PF resin for the impregnation of the fibers. No significant difference was found for the mechanical properties. The effect of the PF resin for impregnation was much clearer in fungal decay resistance than for termite resistance; however, fiber orientation had no effect on both decay and termite resistance of the specimens.     

Efficacy of wood preservatives formulated from okara with copper and/or boron salts

As a substitute for high-cost copper azole (CuAz) and alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) wood preservatives, alternative wood preservatives were formulated with okara, which is an organic waste from the production of tofu, and copper chloride and/or borax. Each preservative was used in treatment of wood blocks in a reduced-pressure method to measure its treatability. The treated wood blocks were placed in hot water for 3 days to examine the stability of the preservatives against hot-water leaching. The preservatives successfully penetrated into wood blocks, probably due to the use of ammonium hydroxide as a dissociating agent. However, the stability of okara-based preservatives dropped as the concentration of acid in the solutions used for hydrolysis of okara increased. The treatability and leachability of the preservatives were not affected by hydrolysis temperature but were negatively affected by the addition of borax. Leached wood blocks treated with okara-based preservatives and exposed to decay fungi Gloeophyllum trabeum and Postia placenta over 12 weeks showed good decay resistance. Okara-based wood preservatives can protect wood against fungal attack as effectively as CuAz, and have potential for use as environmentally friendly wood preservatives.     

木材液相乙酰化处理及处理材尺寸稳定性和耐腐性的研究

本文论述了马尾松、白桦和青杨三种木材的液相乙酰化条件及各种乙酰化木材的尺才稳定性和耐菌腐能力。以乙酸酐和二甲苯为处理液,反应的最佳条件是:温度120℃,时间7到11小时,乙酸酑与二甲苯配比1:1。当处理试样的增重到15%时,抗收缩率可达60%以上。增重为11.75—17.98%的不同处理试块,其耐菌腐能力可提高3—34倍。     

TWP防腐剂处理橡胶木的防腐效果

TWP防腐剂以满细胞法处理的橡胶木,经露天气干2至9个月,用试剂显色法测定药剂透入深度。对4～6cm厚的板材药剂全部渗透,外层15mm硼酸当量(BAE)占木材绝干重0.20%以上。经耐腐性试验测定,用TWP处理的橡胶木属耐腐级,但野外耐腐性较差。此外,还探讨了板材不同深度的耐腐效力     

房屋建筑材用防腐剂的毒性试验

通过对十八种药剂配方(其中水溶性配方15种、油溶性配方3种)对木腐菌的毒性试验及对初筛后的配方进行流失后毒性试验,结果表明,水溶性配方中的铜铬砷即CCA_3、CCA_4、CCA_5,铜铬硼即CCB_5配方,以及油溶性配方中的P—B剂的毒性较大。     

Behavioral and electrophysiological investigation on taste response of the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis to wood extractives

Termite feeding behavior and the chemoreception of plant extracts were evaluated to investigate the water extracts from akamatsu (Pinus densiflora), neem (Azadirachta indica), and their equivalent mixture using pseudoergates of Zootermopsis nevadensis. In behavioral assays, termite preference was akamatsu > akamatsu plus neem > neem. Electrophysiological recordings from the taste hairs on labial palps showed vigorous impulse discharge to akamatsu extract but much lower response to neem extract. The response to akamatsu plus neem was mostly the same as that to neem alone, suggesting the neem extracts inhibited the responses to akamatsu extracts. In the present article, we discuss the correlations between the feeding behaviors and the responses at their taste cells to these different extracts.     

Termite resistance and wood-penetrability of chemically modified tannin and tannin-copper complexes as wood preservatives

We examined the ability of chemically modified tannin and tannin-copper complexes to penetrate wood and the ability of the treated wood to resist termites. Only the tannin-treated wood retained the agents after treatment. Wood with untreated mimosa tannin (MT) retained the least amount, followed by wood with resorcinolated tannin (RMT) and that with catecholated tannin (CMT). When RMT or CMT was mixed with ammonia-copper, the wood retained twice as much of these solutions as the MT -ammonia-copper solution. The degree of retention of RMT-NH₃-Cu and CMT-NH₃-Cu ranged from 268 to 326kg/m³. The solutions penetrated 2–13 mm from the tangential sections of the logs. We also measured the termite resistance conferred by these solutions. Most of the tannin-NH₃-Cu solutions showed contact lethality for termites in the contact toxicity test. However, the termites were fed cellulose treated with those solutions and most survived the oral toxicity test (14 days). Moreover, these solutions reduced the amount of damage to the wood by termites. However, the mortality rate of the termites during the eating-damage test (>21 days) did not reach 100% for any of the solutions except for RMT. As a result of the field stake test with the same log's used for the penetrability test, the mass loss of wood treated with RMT or CMT alone or with RMT + NH₃ + CuCl₂, was about one-third to one-half that of the controls. Because these solutions have good wood penetrability and good termite resistance, they have potential use as low-toxicity wood preservatives.     

Termite resistance of beech wood treated with zinc oxide and zinc borate nanocompounds*

The field of wood protection is currently changing due to the restrictions imposed by the Biocidal Products Regulation. The need for development of new wood protection technologies is therefore growing. In this work, the resistance of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) wood impregnated with nano-dispersions of zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) and zinc borate (nano-ZnB) against the termite Reticulitermes grassei Clement was investigated. Three different concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 2%) of the nanocompounds were tested. The effects of water leaching were also investigated. A severe effect in terms of termite workers mortality was induced by both dispersions, even at the lowest concentration. In terms of termite feeding, nano-ZnO dispersions appeared to be more efficient than nano-ZnB as they induced significant improvement at concentrations as low as 0.5%. Nano-ZnB was applied at 1% or higher concentrations in order to impart similar changes. Nano-ZnB dispersions were efficient in terms of termite resistance for a concentration at least 1%. Further increasing concentration to 2% resulted in a respective increase of wood efficacy against termites. For both tested nanocompounds, water leaching did not result in any significant increase of termite feeding.     

改性处理在提高木材耐腐性方面的研究概况

随着人类环境意识的提高,某些对环境和人体健康有较大影响的木材防腐剂(如铬化砷酸铜CCA)的使用受到限制或禁止。除了开发新的环保型木材防腐剂外,木材改性处理作为木材保护的另一手段,它在提高木材耐腐性方面的研究日益受到关注。本文主要介绍了木材改性处理的方法及防腐机理,并综述了国内外关于木材化学改性处理(以及热处理)后木材的耐腐性(以及抗虫蚁性)方面的研究现状,指出了我国在利用改性方法提高木材耐腐性方面研究所存在的问题,展望了今后研究和发展的方向。     

Effect of an oil heat treatment on the teachability and biological resistance of boric acid impregnated wood

Vegetable oils provide boron retention of about 30% of initial amount depending on oil drying properties. Linseed oil is the most efficient, followed by soybean oil and rapeseed oil. Durability of C. japonica and F. crenata wood specimens has been enhanced by application of linseed oil alone but not enough to reduce termite’s attack of Coptotermes formosanus. Treating wood with a 1.0% w/w boric acid solution prior to oil treatment protects C. japonica from termite and fungi degradations. Efficiency against termites is mainly due to boron retention by oil but hydrophobic oil also forms a barrier decreasing fungi penetration. Boron efficacy threshold around 0.7 kg/m³BAE, lower than classical boron treatments thresholds indicates that oil water-repellence reinforces boron biostatic effect.     

Raman spectroscopic study on the behavior of boric acid in wood

 Raman spectra of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) treated by vacuum impregnation with aqueous boric acid solutions (8.1 × 10⁻² to 7.29 × 10⁻¹ mol dm⁻³) were recorded using a near-infrared laser as an excitation source. Raman spectroscopic measurements were carried out on treated wood blocks of two sizes: 20(T) × 20(R) × 5(L) mm (A-type) and 15(T) × 15(R) × 50(L) mm (B-type). Our attention was focused on a prominent band (ν ₁) assigned to a symmetrical stretching vibration of the BO₃ group because no Raman band due to boron species was observed except bands of B(OH)₃. We observed a change in ν ₁ band intensity with increasing boric acid concentration in the aqueous solution used to treat the A-type wood blocks and investigated the correlation between the intensity and the peak-top wavenumber. Raman line maps in the longitudinal direction of the treated B-type wood blocks revealed that B(OH)₃ is concentrated near the cut ends. These results suggested that two groups of B(OH)₃ exist in wood in terms of the chemical species in the nearest neighbor sphere. Received: March 11, 2002 / Accepted: June 26, 2002     

Physical and chemical characteristics of the blackened portion of Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

The heartwood of the Japanese persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki) becomes black on rare occasions and has been highly esteemed as a substitute for ebony. We attempted to clarify how the physical, mechanical, chemical, and biodegradation properties differ between sapwood and blackened heartwood. The specific gravity, equilibrium moisture content, modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity in the blackened heartwood were higher, and the loss tangent was lower, than those in sapwood. Furthermore, the blackened portion was more resistant to fungal and termite attacks. A section of heartwood was dark-brown, and the specific gravity and mechanical properties of this portion were slightly lower than those in sapwood. The dark-brown portion was speculated to be a sign or interrupted state of fungal attack. The blackening substance was bound tightly to cell wall components and could not be extracted with any of the organic solvents used. The findings of trace element analysis using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry showed that the boron content was markedly high in the blackened portion. The findings obtained here suggest a role of boron in the antifungal properties and the blackening phenomenon of Japanese persimmon.Part of this work was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto, April 2000     

Distribution of boron in wood treated with aqueous and methanolic boric acid solutions

The distributions of boron in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) sapwood blocks treated with aqueous or methanolic boric acid [B(OH)₃] solutions were explored through Raman spectroscopy and prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA). B(OH)₃ was the sole boron species observed in Raman spectra of the wood blocks treated with either solution. Plots of weight gain of the treated wood blocks versus boron concentration in treatment solutions were found to be linear. The results indicated that the methanolic solution makes it possible to impregnate wood with much larger amounts of boron than the aqueous solution. PGA confirmed that B(OH)₃ was highly enriched near the end grains of the treated wood blocks. Raman measurements suggested that boron content in the bulk of the wood block is not as large as expected from the weight gain of the treated wood blocks when an ordinary air-drying method is used. It was concluded that the aqueous solution impregnates the cell walls of wood with boron more easily than the methanolic solution. Part of this report was presented at the 55th (Kyoto, March 2005) and 56th (Akita, August 2006) Annual Meetings of the Japan Wood Research Society. This article follows the previous rapid communication “Analysis of boron in wood treated with boric acid solutions using Doppler broadening method of prompt gamma-rays.” J Wood Sci (2006) 52:279–281     

Growth of cone-shaped carbon material inside the cell lumen by heat treatment of wood charcoal

Conclusions With treatment at 2500°C, wood cell walls partially transform into a turbostratic carbon structure, which has an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a layer plane spacing of 0.343 nm. Despite this change, there was no apparent change within the cell wall seen by SEM.Cone-shaped carbon material was formed inside the cell lumen after treatment at 2500°C. This is not a feature originating from any wood cell organism and seems to result from vaporized carbon or pyrolysis gases that originate within the cell wall.Part of this work was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Gifu, April 2002     

Study on the specific heat of wood by statistical mechanics

Introduction12Sincewoodisanaturalmacromolecularorganism,andchemicalcomposition,structureandbiologicalcellstructureofwoodareextremelycomplicated,thesecausegreatdifficultytothetheoreticalstudyonthespecificheatofwood.Sofar,anyresearchachievementhasnotbeenreportedonit.Wetrytheoreticallytofindouttheinternalrelationandessentiallawsbetweenthespecificheatofwoodandthemicrostructureofwood,revealtheinternalfactorsandtheexternalconditionsofaffectingthespecificheatofwood,andfinallyderiveatheoreticalexpress…     

Changes of crystallinity in wood cellulose by heat treatment under dried and moist conditions

The different effects of heat treatment on wood, especially on the cellulose crystallites of wood under ovendried and highly moist conditions, were investigated by X-ray diffractometer. Heat was found to increase significantly the crystallinity of wood cellulose; moreover, almost twice as much crystallization was observed after heat treatment of spruce and buna under a highly moist condition than under the oven-dried condition. In pure cellulose almost the same crystallization was observed under both the conditions, whereas more crystallization occurred in wood cellulose than in pure cellulose. Absolute crystallization was observed for the wood species and pure cellulose under both conditions, considering the thermal decomposition of the amorphous region in addition to crystallization. Our results suggested that other components accomparying wood cellulose were involved in the increase of crystallinity by heat treatment, and that wood cellulose contained more quasicrystalline regions than pure cellulose. Moreover, calculated apparent activation energies revealed that crystallization and decrystallization in pure and wood cellulose under heat treatment of highly moist condition were some-what easier than those under the oven-dried condition. The behavior of the piezoelectric modulusd ₂₅ almost paralleled that of crystallinity.