• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.880-889
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• 2016

To evaluate the resistance of wood to decay caused by fungi, sapwood and heartwood of red pine (Pinus densiflora) and sapwood and heartwood of larch (Larix kaempferi) were conducted. Wood samples were immersed for 96 h in pyroligneous liquor. Then, the brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis palustris, was used to examine the decay resistance of red pine and larch. Weight and density of wood from the all conditions increased after immersion treatment. Weight loss after decay resistance test was also dropped with a immersion treatment. The lowest weight loss indicated at immersion-treated heartwood of larch. Immersion treatment using pyroligneous liquor effectively increased the resistance of wood to decay caused by fungi.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.7-13
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• 2004

In this study, the Korean pine wood (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc) and Italian poplar wood (Populus euramericana Guinier) was treated with a mixture of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and boric acid. Their usability as fire retardant and as decay-resistant construction and interior materials were evaluated by testing of chemicals, corrosion rate and absorption rate, weight loss and chemical contents. An experiment was performed to compare treated pine wood and Italian poplar wood. According to the results, Italian poplar wood had higher specific gravity and retention of chemicals than pine wood, and treated wood showed higher decay-resistance than untreated one. Weight loss was less in treated wood than untreated one because the degree of decay was lower in the former than the latter. Corrosion rate and absorption rate met the KS standard for wood preservative performance. The chemical contents analysis was carried out to determine the degree of decay and it was found that the preservative effect of chemical treatment was lower in Italian poplar wood than in pine wood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.74-81
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• 2004

The ultrasonic non-destructive method was used for wood decay test. The temperature change and moisture contents of wood were estimated how the ultrasonic wave velocity changes. The relationship between weight loss of wood decayed by T. palustris and ultrasonic wave velocity was investigated. The non-destructive methods of different condition of logwood were estimated. Decay map of old wood was made by non destructive methods. Through these tests, we can accumulate the data to judge the degree of wood decay. The decay map of wood could be used for the analysis of old wood.

• 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.42 no.6
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• pp.732-739
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• 2014

This research was performed to investigate the effect of recent climate changes on wood decay hazard index (Scheffer index) in Korea. The index was determined using a climate data of 58 different locations obtained from the website of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), and the wood decay hazard index was determined at the intervals of 10 years. Most of regions in Korea except Juju island showed wood decay hazard index values between 35 and 65, considered to be moderate decay hazard zones. But in recent 10 years (2003~2012), the wood decay hazard index was rapidly increased, resulting in showing many high decay hazard regions. The trend may be explained by the in crease of temperature and precipitation. The recent climate change of Korea turning into the weather of subtropical region may explain the increase of wood decay hazard index.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2018

In this study, the decay resistance of larch wood, which was heat treated by superheated steam, was evaluated by the field decay test. During the field decay test of 12 months, non-treated wood has been severely damaged by termite, however, no visible damage has occurred in the preservative-treated wood and superheated steam heat-treated wood. Results of field decay test showed approximately 5% mass loss of the non-treated wood and the preservative-treated wood, and approximately 1% mass loss of the superheated steam heat-treated wood. After the field decay test for 12 months, the residual amount of preservatives remaining in the preservative-treated wood was lower than that before the field decay test. It was considered that the preservative was partially eluted during the field decay test, and the mass loss of the preservative-treated wood was thought to be similar to that of the non-treated wood. Through this study and additional long-term monitoring test, superheated steam heat treatment can be considered to be an environmental-friendly method to enhance the decay resistance of wood against rot fungi and/or insect without chemical treatment such as preservative injection.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.146-154
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• 2016

The wood decay fungi are a diverse taxonomic group that plays a pivotal role in forest carbon cycling. Wood decay fungi use various enzymatic pathways to digest dead or living wood in order to obtain carbon and other nutrients and these enzymatic systems have been exploited for both industrial and medical applications. Over 600 wood decay fungi species have been described in Korea; however, the recent application of molecular markers has dramatically altered the taxonomy of many of these wood decay fungi at both the genus and species levels. By combining molecular methods, specifically sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region, with traditional morphological characters, this study identified five new species records for Korea in five genera: Aurantiporus, Favolus, Neofavolus, Loweomyces, and Hymenochaetopsis. Three of these genera (Aurantiporus, Favolus, and Loweomyces) were previously unknown in Korea. The relatively simple morphology of the wood decay fungi often leads to ambiguous taxonomic assignment. Therefore, molecular markers are a necessary component of any taxonomic or evolutionary study of wood decay fungi. Our study highlights the need for a more robust and multifaceted approach in investigating new wood decay fungi in Korea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2000

The capability of higher ascomyceteous fungi to cause typical soft-rot decay for wood under laboratory conditions is reviewed and discussed. Fungi tested were extremely active in the decomposition of timbers. Scanning electron micrographs illustrated typical soft-rot decay pattern of higher wood decay ascomycetes, with the exception of H. trugodes that caused white-rot decay. Most of the fungi tested could be grouped as soft-rot fungi that showed typical soft-rot type II. Hypha confined primarily to the resin canals in softwoods or vessel elements in hardwoods and spread tracheid to tracheid via pits of cell wall to cell wall with mechanical force.

• 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.24 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 1996

This study was performed to investigate the feasibility of using sonic stress-wave technique in the longitudinal direction for the assessment of incipient decay of radiata pine wood. Decayed bending specimens by Tyromyces palustris and Gloeophyllum trabeum for varoious periods were tested nondestructively using stress-wave technique in the longitudinal direction and destructively. Decay detection, quantitative assessment of decay, and the prediction of residual strength of decayed wood with less than five percent weight loss can be feasible using stress-wave parameters (wave velocity, wave impedance, stress-wave elasticity) measured by stress-wave technique in the longitudinal direction and their percent reduction due to decay.