Treesearch

High-throughput transcriptomics was used to identify Fibroporia radiculosa genes that were differentially regulated during colonization of wood treated with a copper-based preservative. The transcriptome was profiled at two time points while the fungus was growing on wood treated with micronized copper quat (MCQ). A total of 917 transcripts were differentially expressed. Fiftyeight of these genes were more highly expressed when the MCQ was protecting the wood from strength loss and had putative functions related to oxalate production/degradation, laccase activity, quinone biosynthesis,...

Since acid deposition increases the rate of deterioration of unpainted wood, it can also affect the performance of paint applied to this weathered wood. In tests conducted near Madison, Wisconsin, smooth-planed wood was allowed to weather before painting. Exposure for as little as 2 weeks shortened the service life of the subsequently applied paint. The paint bond was weak and the paint eventually peeled. Acid concentration in rain near Madison tends to be much lower than that found in many other areas of the United States. High acid concentration would tend to produce more surface...

Iron stain, an unsightly blue–black or gray discoloration, can occur on nearly all woods. Oak, redwood, cypress, and cedar are particularly prone to iron stain because these woods contain large amounts of tannin-like extractives. The discoloration is caused by a chemical reaction between extractives in the wood and iron in steel products, such as nails, screws, and other fasteners and appendages. This often occurs the first morning after rain or dew, when water enables the extractives and iron to meet and react. For hundreds of years, ink was made by mixing tannin and iron in solution,...

Since the mid-1980s, a condition called “mill glaze” (also called planer’s glaze) has sometimes been blamed for the failure of a coating on smooth flat-grained siding and some other wood products. The exact cause of this problem has been a subject of controversy. Many people believe that the coating fails as a result of the planing and/or drying processes. They speculate that the milling or planing process overheats the wood and brings more water-soluble extractives to the surface, creating a hard varnishlike glaze. They attribute overheating to dull planer blades.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect the oxalic acid (OA) and steam pretreatment on the primary properties of rice straw medium-density fiberboard (MDF). The results show the IB strength increased about 9.6% and 13.4% for steam-treated MDF (PC) and OA-treated MDF compared with raw control panels, while OA pretreatment has a slight negative effect on the bending properties of MDF. Generally, the steam-treated and OA-treated panels exhibit a slightly improved dimensional stability, but the difference is not significant compared with raw control panels. The thermo-mechani...

The objective of this study was to examine the potential of acoustic measurement as a rapid and nondestructive method to predict the dimensional stability of young-growth Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Ultrasonic velocity, peak energy, specific gravity, and radial and tangential shrinkages were measured on twenty-four 25- x102- xy 25-mm specimens obtained from a 58-year-old stand in Southeast Alaska. We found that specific gravity and peak energy of ultrasonic signals were not good predictors of transverse shrinkage, as indicated by poor correlations. Ultrasonic velocity, on the other...

Bamboo is a potential major bio-energy resource. Tests were carried out to compare and evaluate the property of bamboo and rice straw pellets, rice straw being the other main source of biomass solid fuel in China. All physical properties of untreated bamboo pellets (UBP), untreated rice straw pellets (URP), carbonized bamboo pellets (CBP), and carbonized rice straw pellets (CRP) met the requirements of Pellet Fuels Institute Standard Specification for Residential/Commercial Densified including dimension, density, and strength. The inorganic ash (15.94 %) and gross heat value (15375 J/g) of...

Wood decay fungi are obligate aerobes, deriving nutrients from the biological ‘combustion’ of wood, using molecular oxygen as terminal electron acceptor (Kirk and Farrell 1987; Blanchette 1991). Non-specific extracellular enzymes are generally viewed as key components in lignin depolymerization. The major enzymes implicated in lignin degradation are lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and laccase. All three can act with low molecular weight mediators to bring about oxidation of lignin and various xenobiotics (Cullen 2002).

The percentage mass loss of loblolly pine (pinus taeda) wood cube specimens exposed to Gloeophyllum fungus (Gloeophyllum trabeum) for increasing periods of time ranging from 1 to 12 weeks was recorded after being subjected to controlled decay following ASTM International standard ASTM D 1423-99. The specimens’ corresponding volume loss due to decay and corresponding densities were calculated using X-ray computed tomography. Blocks decayed for 12 weeks experienced, on the average, the greatest loss of mass (≈40%) volume (≈30%) and density (≈37%). For each of the three principal material...

Soy flour adhesives using a polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) polymeric coreactant are used increasingly as wood adhesives for interior products. Although these adhesives give good performance, higher bond strength under wet conditions is desirable. Wet strength is important for accelerated tests involving the internal forces generated by the swelling of wood and plasticization of the adhesive with increasing humidity.