No abstract

The objective of this study, to investigate decay resistance against Pleurotus ostreatus and Coniophora puteana fungus of heat-treated (ThermoWood method) Scotch pine, oak and beech wood species. Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), oak (Quercus petreae) and beech (Fagus orientalis) wood species were heat treated at 190°C for 2 h, 212°C for 1 h and 2 h by the ThermoWood® method. Untreated and heat-treated specimens were exposed to white-rot fungus (Pleurotus ostreatus) and brown-rot fungus (Coniophora puteana) for 12 weeks according to procedures defined in JIS K 1571 standard. After weight losses of all specimens were calculated. According to the results, least weight loss was determined on heat treated at 212°C for 2 h. Heat treatment can be used effectively against fungal attack for Scotch pine, oak and beech wood species.

Propolis is an important antifungal agent found naturally in beehives and used as a food supplement for many purposes. This study aimed to use methanolic propolis extract (MPE) as a treatment material as an antifungal agent for wood preservation. Scots pine and paulownia woods were exposed to Trametes versicolor and Neolentinus lepideus fungi for 12 weeks, and untreated woods were used as the controls. Compared with the control, paulownia wood exposed to N. lepideus had a 47.2% mean mass loss, while the treated wood with 7% MPE had an 11.6% mean mass loss. In addition, a 27.2% mass loss occurred with the control for Scots pine when exposed to N. lepideus, and a 2.5% mass loss occurred with the 7% propolis-treated specimens. Total phenolic content and the phenolic profile of the raw propolis samples were also analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the propolis extracts still remained in the wood cells without being degraded after the fungal destruction and the propolis-treated specimens were more durable against fungal decay compared to the untreated control specimens. The results from this study indicated that propolis could be used as an environmentally compatible and natural wood preservative to protect wood against fungal attack.

The aim of this study was to determine selected surface properties of varnished beech wood impregnated with natural extracts after exposure to accelerated weathering. Beech wood samples were impregnated with aqueous solutions of 5 and 10% mimosa (Acacia mollissima) and quebracho (Shinopsis lorentzii) tannins. After weathering, colour changes (DL*, Da*, Db*, and DE*) in addition to scratch resistance and surface hardness values were calculated and evaluated. As a result of the weathering process, greater colour changes (DE*) were detected in the beech wood samples impregnated with tannins compared with the unimpregnated control samples. The least colour change occurred in the Tanalith-E-impregnated samples. Total colour change was adversely affected with tannin impregnation after the weathering processes. In terms of surface hardness and scratch resistance, the highest values were observed in the mimosa-solutionimpregnated and control samples. Furthermore, it was found that scratch resistance and hardness values tended to increase during the first period of weathering and decreased thereafter. Regarding surface properties, the best results were obtained when polyurethane varnish was employed compared with the other varnish types. Coloration Technology Society of Dyers and Colourists 334

The aim of this study was to determine and quantify the wood‐decay fungi found on logs of forest tree species (beech, oak, hornbeam, Scots pine and fir) stored in log depots located in six different provinces in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Additionally, it was aimed to determine the natural durability of some important wood species against the most commonly detected wood‐decay fungi. Eighteen families, 31 genera and 45 species belonging to the division Basidiomycota were detected; Antrodia crassa was identified for the first time in Turkey. The abundance of Panus neostrigosus, Polyporus meridionalis, Trametes hirsuta, T. versicolor and Stereum hirsutumincreased significantly with the holding time of the logs (r = 0.99, 0.87, 0.53, 0.57 and 0.78, respectively, p < 0.05). The majority of the fungal species were detected on logs stored in depots for 4–6 years (66%). The percentage of fungal species found on the logs with a holding time of three years or less was 29%, whereas the percentage for those detected on logs stored for seven or more years was 31%. Among the wood species, the greatest number of fungal species (29) and highest amount of fungi (2,539) occurred on beech wood. Natural durability tests showed that T. versicolor caused the greatest loss of wood mass, with an average of 23%. Field studies and natural durability tests performed in the laboratory showed that beech wood lost the most mass among the timber species studied.