• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.157-174
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• 2024

This study investigates the influence of varying concentrations of boric acid (BA) preservative on the physical and mechanical properties of light red meranti (LRM) found in Sarawak. LRM or Shorea leprosula samples were treated with various concentrations of BA via the dip diffusion method using American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. The physical property, particularly the retention rate and mechanical properties, bending strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE), tensile and compression strength parallel to grain of impregnated and control samples were tested to determine the effects of BA preservative. The retention rate was found to increase with increasing BA concentration and higher surface area to volume ratio. The mechanical properties in terms of the MOE and tensile strength parallel to grain were found to be greater than those of the control samples, whereas the bending strength and tensile strength parallel to grain were lower. Amongst the results, only the retention rate and MOE showed significant interaction effects at 5% level of significance between all factors tested (samples size and BA concentration for retention rate and BA concentration for MOE).

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.513-526
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• 2020

The existing preservation methods are difficult to be applied to a large dimension log which is needed for making traditional wooden ship 'Jalur' in Riau Province. Novel techniques to provide the use of readily available species to replace traditional species alternative were investigated. These included infusion and a combination of injection and bandage-wrapping methods for preserving living trees of Balam (Macaranga conifera (Rchb.f. & Zoll.) Müll.Arg.) and Bintangor (Calophyllum soulattri Burm.f.). Water-based boron compounds were applied as wood preservatives. In total, 18 discs from the bottom, middle, and top of four trees and two controls were used. Trees undergoing treatment were also used to see how wood anatomical structure might affect the boron penetration. The overall aim was to identify the best method for use in Jalur manufacturing. The results showed that in infused Balam tree where the hose position for the preservative intake was deep (10-15 cm from the bark), no boron compound was observed in the outer sapwood. Combination of injection and bandage-wrapping method gave higher percentage of boron penetration at bottom and middle of Balam tree. However, infused Bintangor showed 100% boron penetration. The larger vessel diameter, the absence of tyloses, and the simple perforation plates in Bintangor wood were likely to have contributed to the higher penetration of boron. The combination of bandage-wrapping and infusion, or alternatively by infusing the living trees close to the bark, and at as low as position in the stem gives better protection when treatments are applied to living trees.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2006

This study investigated how wood properties (i.e., annual rings, sapwood, heartwood, and cracks) might affect preservative treatment in Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) round-wood product. We specially focused on small-diameter (~10 cm diameter) wood that is commercially sold in market. Among 100 wood samples, the groups of sample with 13~16, 17~20 annual rings represented 33 and 27 in each frequency, while 2~3 and 4~5 mm annual ring width accounted for 72 and 68 in frequency. More than a half (54%) of wood samples contained a mix of heartwood and sapwood in its surface. The rest (46%) had only heartwood exposed in the wood surface. A wide range of checks were showed in the wood samples, but the highest frequency was observed in samples with 1~6 surface (1~14 mm in size) checks and 1~4 end-grain (8~14 mm in size) checks in each round-wood sample. Pressure treatment resulted in a wide range of penetration of ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quat) into the wood, showing $4.3{\pm}4.19mm$ penetration in the wood samples contained a mix of heartwood and sapwood in its surface. However preservative treatment was much less effective for the heartwood only wood samples, ranging average 1.3 mm with ACQ and 1.1 mm with CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate). These penetration results shown in heartwood samples did not meet the penetration standard that is required for H3 by the Korean Forest Service in relation to wood preservation treatment. These low penetration results were not significantly improved even if we incised wood samples to improve treatment effect, showing only small increase of 0.7 mm with ACQ and 0.6 mm with CCA. When preservative treatment was tested with heartwood, penetration of preservatives decrease with increase of annual rings per a cross-section area (r=0.5345). We also found that the length and number of check had no effect on preservative treatment, showing r=0.1301 and r=0.1802, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.376-392
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• 2020

In Korea, damages to wooden cultural properties by termites have been reported all over the country, including Ulleungdo Island and Jeju Island. In order to reduce the damage caused by termites, most cultural properties damaged by them are treated with fumigation or drug treatment on the soil to kill or repel them. The number of treatments is decreasing due to cost and safety problems, and new methods needed to cope with this situation. After extracting an enzyme by selecting only worker termites from the termites collected in Shinan, Jeonnam, as a result of measuring the enzyme activity using xylan of cellulose and hemicellulose that are the components of wood, the activity of termite intestinal enzymes in xylan was higher than that of cellulose having a high molecular weight. Therefore, in this study, as a result of exploring over 600 species of medicinal plant extracts that inhibit the activity of termite intestinal enzymes using xylan as a substrate, the inhibitory effect was significant in Borneolum Syntheticum, Ephedra sinica, and Menthol. Selected Borneolum Syntheticum, Ephedra sinica, and Menthol's extracts not only inhibited the activity of termite intestinal enzymes, but also confirmed that they have insecticidal activation and inhibitory effects on feeding in the result of the direct treatment.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.707-710
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• 2005

The antimicrobial activities of extracts from some of natural products and bacteriocins produced from lactic acid bacteria such as L. mesenteroides, L. citreum and P. pentosaceus have been investigated with using disc diffusion assay, challenge method and minimum inhibitory concentration method. The bacteriocin substances produced from L. mesenteroides, L. citreum and P, pentosaceus have shown strong antimicrobial activities against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aerugionosa, and B. subtillis while the extracts from phenonip and sandal wood have shown strong antimicrobial activities only against C. albicans. The bacteriocins produced from L. mesenteroides, L. citreum and P. pentosaceus could be a promising preservatives for cosmetics, pharmaceutical products and foods in future.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effect of treatment variables on CCA treatment of Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora), Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis), and ezo spruce (Picea jezoensis) round posts. Variables included were duration of initial vacuum (30, 45, or 60 minutes) and maximum pressure applied (8.5, 10.5, or 14.0 kg/$cm^2$), and maximum pressure was maintained until refusal point was reached. Regardless of wood species, extending the duration of initial vacuum more than 30 minutes did not affect treatability. Increasing pressure did not affect preservative penetration; however, preservative retention was affected by pressure levels, particularly at higher level (14.0 kg/$cm^2$). Preservative penetration depth of Japanese red pine met a minimum requirement specified by Notification of Korean Forestry Administration (No. 1999-8) for hazard class H5 of CCA-treated wood. Penetration of preservative in both Japanese larch and ezo spruce was not deep because of shallow sapwood thickness of these species, so pretreatment such as incising should be considered if these species are treated with preservatives. Although retention in Japanese red pine was not significantly increased even with 14.0 kg/$cm^2$, that of refractory Japanese larch and ezo spruce was significantly increased with the application of 14.0 kg/$cm^2$. Effect of treatment variables on refusal time was unclear; however, it is cleared that the refusal time was shortened with the increase in sapwood thickness.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.481-489
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• 2011

This study was conducted to evaluate the pressure treatment characteristics of Japanese red pine and Japanese larch skin timber with ACQ-2, CUAZ-2 and CuHDO-1. The effect of moisture content (MC) on preservative treatability was investigated for Japanese red pine sapwood and Japanese larch heartwood, and fixation characteristics of CCA alternatives was also evaluated. Japanese red pine sapwood, which was dried below 30 percent MC, was fully penetrated with preservatives, and minimum requirement of preservative retention for the hazard class H3 was achieved. Through measuring preservative retention gradient in Japanese red pine sapwood, it was confirmed that the retention gradient of CuHDO-1 was steeper than that of both ACQ-2 and CUAZ-2. In particular, it was intensified at a higher MCs of wood samples (25∼30%). Japanese larch heartwood did not meet the minimum requirement of penetration and retention for the hazard class H3 over the range of pretreatment MCs tested. With presteaming under $121^{\circ}C$ for 12 hours, the treatability of Japanese larch heartwood was enhanced to meet the minimum requirement for the hazard class H3. The fixation rate of copper was much more faster under drying condition compared with nondrying condition; more than 95% of copper were fixed in 3~6 days and 1 day under drying conditions in Japanese red pine sapwood and Japanese larch heartwood, respectively. After 3-week fixation period at ambient temperature, the amount of mobile copper in treated wood sample that remains available for leaching from treated wood was the highest in the wood samples treated with ACQ-2, followed by CuHDO-1 and CUAZ-2. It was proportional to the amount of copper in treating solution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 1968

The Capacity of wood to absorb water is very important as the basis data for wood industry, particularly in preservatives impregnation, manufacturing of improved wood, selection of packing boards, etc. In this study differences in Water absorbing Capacity of wood by structual section, water soaking time were investigated. (1) The species used in this investigation were Larix olgensis Henry Var. Koreana Nakai and Juglans mandshurica Max., and dimension of these testing wood block was $30{\times}30{\times}100cm$; and these were soaked in fresh water of $25{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ for 8.5day and 0.5 day, before measurement. (2) The result showed that the water absorption by cross sections was greater than by either radial or tangential section and there were no differences between radial and tangential section. (3) The water absorption of Juglans mandshurica Max. which has the relatively low specific gravity was greater than Larix olgensis Henry Var. Koreana Nakai which has generally high specific gravity. (4) The result showed an increase in the absorbed water with increase in the length of soaking time. However the water absorption rate during the early period of soaking was very high and thereafter the rate decreased with passage of time. More than a half of the total water absorption was achieved during the first 2 days approximately. (5) The relationships between the length of the soaking-time and water absorption were found to be as follows : Larix olgensis Henry Var. Koreana Nakai Cross section : $y=111.1{\times}^{0.6516}$ radial section : $y=32.2{\times}^{0.5146}$ tangential section : $y=36.5{\times}^{0.5112}$ Juglans mandshurica Max. Cross section : $y=216.1{\times}^{0.5914}$ radial section : $y=27.9{\times}^{0.5832}$ tangential section : $y=50.9{\times}^{0.4769}$ Where : y is amount of water absorption ($mg/cm^2$) x is water-soaking time (days).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2005

Photo-mutagenic compounds have been known to alter skin cancer rates by acting as initiators or by affecting subsequent steps in carcinogenesis. The objectives of this study are to investigate the utility of photo-chromosomal aberration (photo-CA) assay for detecting photo-clastogens, and to evaluate its ability to predict rodent photocarcinogenicity. Photo-CA assay was performed with five test substances that demonstrated positive results in photo-carcinogenicity tests: 8-Methoxypsoralen (photoactive substance that forms DNA adducts in the presence of ultraviolet A irradiation), chlorpromazine (an aliphatic phenothiazine an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent), lomefloxacin (an antibiotic in a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones), anthracene (a tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon a basic substance for production of anthraquinone, dyes, pigments, insecticides, wood preservatives and coating materials) and Retinoic acid (a retinoid compound closely related to vitamin A). For the best discrimination between the test substance-mediated genotoxicity and the undesirable genotoxicity caused by direct DNA absorption, a UV dose-response of the cells in the absence of the test substances was firstly analyzed. All 5 test substances showed a positive outcome in photo-CA assay, indicating that the photo-CA test is very sensitive to the photo-genotoxic effect of UV irradiation. With this limited data-set, an investigation into the predictive value of this photo-CA test for determining the photo-carcinogenicity showed that photo-CA assay has the high ability of a test to predict carcinogenicity. Therefore, the photo-CA test using mammalian cells seems to be a sensitive method to evaluate the photo-carcinogenic potential of new compounds.