Antifungal activity and fire resistance properties of nano-chitosan treated wood

Abstract

Fungal decay and fire resistance properties of wood treated with nanochitosan-TPP particles were investigated. Quaternized and nonquaternized nano-chitosan particles crosslinked with a commercial fire-retardant, tripolyphosphate, were prepared from low molecular weight chitosan (with a molecular weight of 50 to 190 kDa). Different treatments were performed on southern yellow pine wood samples via a vacuum impregnation process for both quaternized and non-quaternized nanochitosan-TPP particles with a concentration ratio of 12% to 4.8% (nanochitosan to TPP). Both the leached and unleached treated wood samples were exposed to brown rot (Gloeophyllum trabeum) and white rot (Trametes versicolor) fungi according to AWPA standard E10-16. The flammability test was performed with a cone calorimeter according to ASTM standard E1354-15. The heat release rate and the mass loss rate were measured. The results of the fungal tests indicated that the quaternization of the nano-chitosan particles resulted in a reduced mass loss in the pine samples when exposed to Trametes versicolor under leached conditions. Additionally, without the quaternization of the nanochitosan particles, the mass loss in the pine samples was reduced when exposed to Gloeophyllum trabeum under unleached conditions. The production of nano-chitosan-TPP particles had a significant effect on the fire-retardant activity of the treated wood samples.

Citation

Khademibami, Laya; Barnes, H. Michael; Jeremic, Dragica; Schmulsky, Rubin; Bourne, Keith; Fatemi, Sayed Abolghasem. 2020. Antifungal activity and fire resistance properties of nano-chitosan treated wood. Bioresources. 15(3): 5926-5939.