• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2017

Yellow-hearted pine (YHP; Pinus densiflora for. erecta Uyeki) is one of the Red pine species and has extremely narrow growth ring and high ratio of heartwood growing in Korea. It has been used for valuable wooden constructions as palace and temple for royal family since the Joseon Dynasty period. However, scientific information on the wood properties of YHP is still very lacking. This study was carried out to investigate natural durability of YHP to fungi and termites attack. Examination of anti-fungal and anti-termite properties of YHP was performed at indoor condition using brown-rot fungi (Fomitopsis palustris), white-rot fungi (Trametes versicolor), and termite (Reticulitermes speratus). The results showed that weight loss of the heartwood in YHP after fungi and termite test was much lower than those of the sapwood in YHP. Furthermore, the highest mortality of termite was obtained from the heartwood of YHP. Consequently, it is clearly revealed that the heartwood of YHP has excellent durability against brown- and white-rot fungi and termite.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.107-116
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• 2020

Termiticidal and fungicidal activities of wood vinegar from Cinnamomum parthenoxylon (CP) stem wood have been evaluated against Coptotermes curvignathus and wood rotting fungi (Schizophyllum commune and Fomitopsis palustris). The utilized CP wood vinegar was produced in the operating temperature range 250-300℃ pyrolysis. A no-choice test was applied for evaluating termiticidal activity with 33 active termites and antifungal activity using the agar media assay. The result showed that an increase in the concentrations of CP wood vinegar significantly raised the mortality of termite. CP wood vinegar showed high termiticidal activity, organic acids (acetic acid 42.91%, 3-butenoic acid 6.89%, butanoic acid, 2-propenyl ester 2.26%), and ketones (1-hydroxy-2-propanone 5.14%, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione 2.34%) might be largely contributed to termiticidal activity in addition to other minor components. Furthermore, CP wood vinegar exhibited significant inhibition of fungal growth. These data showed that CP wood vinegar was more toxic to white-rot fungi (S. commune) than brown-rot (F. palustris). The results suggested that phenolic compounds from lignin degradation were responsible for good antifungal activity.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.195-201
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• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the resistance of heat-treated wood using the catalyst to decay caused by fungi for sapwood and heartwood of two tree species, Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) and Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi), respectively. Wood samples were immersed for 10 min in sulfuric acid (7.5%) and then heat-treated at $130^{\circ}C$ for 90 min. Fomitopsis palustris, a brown-rot fungus, was used to examine the decay resistance of Korean red pine and Japanese larch wood. Weight and density of wood from the all conditions increased after heat treatment using the catalyst. Weight loss after decay resistance test was also dropped with a heat treatment. The lowest weight loss indicated at heat-treated heartwood of Japanese larch. Heat treatment using the catalyst effectively increased the resistance of wood to decay caused by fungi.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.602-615
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• 2021

Red jabon wood is a potential fast-growing species for veneer, furniture, and many other wood products, but its durability is very low. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of castor bean oil and heating on boron leaching, dimensional stability, and resistance to decay fungi in treated jabon wood. Red jabon wood was preserved with boron solutions containing 5% boron (boric acid, borax, or borax-boric acid). Following that, castor bean oil impregnation and heating were used as posttreatments. Furthermore, all the wood samples were tested in terms of leaching, dimensional stability, and resistance against Schizophyllum commune and Fomitopsis palustris fungi. This study discovered that boron compounds, castor bean oil, and heating treatments influenced the leaching, dimensional stability, and resistance of red jabon wood to decay fungi. The double impregnation of boric acid or borax and castor bean oil, followed by heating at 160℃, significantly reduced water absorption and leaching while increasing the dimensional stability and resistance of red jabon wood against the two tested decay fungi.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.559-565
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• 2013

This study evaluated the ability of white and brown rot fungi to decompose fire retardant-treated wood by measuring mass loss. Anti efficacy of FRT against sapstain and mold fungi was evaluated. Wood was treated with liquid sodium silicate and boric acid, ammonium borate, di-ammonium phosphate. Retardant treated wood was then subjected to fungal decay resistance tests performed according to KS standard method using a brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis palustris and white rot fungus Trametes versicolor. Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum, Rhizopus nigricans, Aureobasidium pullulans, Tricoderma virede fungi were used anti-sapstain and mold test. Boron and phosphorus chemicals used in this study increased the resistance of fire retardant treated wood against both fungal attack. Anti mold and sapstain efficacy of the fire retardant treated wood was excellent but there were difference depend on mold. After the liquid sodium silicate treatment, the second chemical treatment process could lead chemical fixation into wood, which effects decay resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.716-725
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• 2016

In this study, MCQ (Micronized copper Quat) which was copper-based wood preservative, was investigated on decay properties by difference of the its infiltration volume. After pressure-treatment with different MCQ concentration, test specimens (Japanese Red Pine) were exposed by a brown-rot fungus (Fomitopsis palustris). At the end of the 12 weeks exposure to the fungus, untreated specimen was showed the mass loss of more than 35%, and the value of preservative effectiveness of MCQ by indoor decay was $3.99{\pm}0.42kg/m^3$. Therefore, MCQ should be pressure-injected at least $3.99kg/m^3$. The three dimensional of the specimens were observed by using the light microscope and scanning electron microscope, Untreated and treatment specimens with low concentration generally had underwent serious decays and had a lot of fungal hyphae. Howere, the formation of bore hole by hyphae were not observed. Mass loss and decay properties of specimens were affected by amount of MCQ injection. Therefore, it is necessary to the review of the adequacy of the MCQ injection amount in domestic environments.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.112-121
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• 2015

In this study, Copper Azole (CuAz), a domestically available wood preservative for pressure treatment, was employed to perform an experimental research on its infiltration and decay properties in Japanese Red Pine. Test specimens were pressure-injected with CuAz-2 preservative to measure its preservative effectiveness, and then its impact on weight and mass losses. Furthermore, wood specimens were treated with CuAz-2 preservatives of various concentration levels before they were decayed with brown-rot-fungi in order to observe decay properties on light microscope (LM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). As a result, untreated specimen by Fomitopsis palustris showed the mass loss of more than 40%, and the value of preservative effectiveness of CuAz-2 by indoor decay was $1,73-3.32kg/m^3$. The concentration levels of CuAz-2 preservative were shown to cause significant variations in terms of decay progresses in the cross section, radial section, and tangential section. By contrast, untreated specimens had underwent serious decays in early wood, late wood, longitudinal resin canals, and ray, which led to vertical destruction of wood texture. As for the radial section, ray tracheid, ray parenchyma cell, and window like pits were decayed and destroyed. In the case of tangential section, uniseriate rays and vertical resin canals were seriously decayed. In conclusion, this study indicates that the adequacy of the current CuAz injection amount should be reviewed in the domestic environment because there are significantly different decays at different decay conditions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.302-311
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of castor oil (CSO) as a natural wood preservative. CSO was treated into wood blocks prepared with domestic and imported wood species using a vacuum-pressure method, and then treatability, leachability and decay resistance of the CSO-treated wood blocks were examined. Although CSO was penetrated effectively into wood blocks of all wood species, the CSO-treatability was the highest in Western hemlock, followed by Japanese larch (LA), soft maple and Mongolian oak due to the difference of its anatomical structure. Except for LA, the more retained, the more leached during a saline water-immersing process for 48h. The use of ethanol added to reduce the viscosity of CSO affected negatively the treatability and leachability of wood blocks. Decay resistance, which was evaluated by the weight loss of wood blocks exposed against Fomitopsis palustris (FOP) and Trametes versicolor, of the CSO-treated/leached wood blocks was superior to that of control. Especially, most of wood blocks treated with preserving solution composed of only CSO (CSO-2) did not decayed and showed a very low weight loss against FOP. The decay resistance results from CSO retained in wood blocks after leaching. The retention of CSO could identify using the observation of X-ray microscope. Length of wood strips, which were treated with CSO-2 and then immersed in saline water for 2 weeks, hardly changed in all cutting directions. In addition, weight gain and length-swelling rate of the wood strips were extremely low compared to those of control. These results indicate that moisture resistance of the wood strips was improved by the CSO treatment. It is concluded that the treatment of CSO using a vacuum-pressure method provides the decay resistance and dimensional stability of wood, and thus CSO can be used as a natural wood preservative on various indoor and outdoor circumstances.