Chapters authored
Wood Degradation by Fungi and Environmentally Benign Wood Preservatives
The causes, processes, features and conditional factors of wood decay and degradation due to fungi were reviewed. The degradation path of wood varies depending on diverse fungi and wood species, as fungi possess selectivity in the degradation of versatile wood components. The chemical treatments and preservatives are reviewed to understand their correlation with the decay mechanisms of wood. Environmentally benign wood preservatives are discussed, e.g. one based on chicken feather protein combined with copper and boron salts to replace the traditional wood preservatives together with several environmentally friendly preservatives based on wood extractives as a source of natural raw materials. Excellent functionalities of the protein-based wood preservative suggested that this eco-formulation could offer great potential to be used as an environmentally benign wood preservatives with a more competitive cost. This new system of wood preservatives provides a theoretical basis for further research and the reasonable utilization and scientific protection of wood products.
Part of the book: Current Applications of Engineered Wood