Fungal and termite resistance and dimensional stability of etherified woods

記事区分：原著To improve the antifungal and antitermitic properties and the dimensional stability of wood, blocks of buna (Fagus crenata Blume), sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don), and matsu (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.) were treated with a 95:5 (vol/vol) mixture of buthylene oxide and triethylamine at 140℃ and eight atm for 4, 5 or 8 hr. The treatment caused the wood of three species to turn light yellow. The color was similar to that of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.). Chemical analysis of untreated and etherified wood samples showed that buthylene oxide combined with hydroxyl groups of the polysaccharides and with phenolic hydroxyl groups of the lignin in the woods, forming ether bonds. The moisture gain and swelling of etherified woods measured at 23℃ and 75% RH decreased in proportion to the amount of buthylene oxide absorbed by the wood. Antiswelling and antishrink properties improved in proportion to the amount of buthylene oxide absorbed. Etherified buna with weight increases of 10%, etherified sugi with increases of 17%, and etherified matsu with increases of 15% were resistant to the wood-destroying fungi, Coriolus versicolor, Tyromyces palustris, and Chaetomium globosum, and Serpula lacrymans. These woods had preservative efficiency of at least 80%. The etherified woods also had high presevation properties against termites in JWPA No. 11 tests, and at least 80% antitermitic efficiency. Wood samples were not damaged at all when buried in soil in a termite-breeding chamber in our laboratory