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Resistance to fungal degradation of modified and unmodified wood

Forsman, Maximilian Benedict LU (2026) In LUTVDG/TVBB VBMM01 20252
Division of Building Materials
Abstract
The inherent resistance to fungal degradation of wood was studied using the paste test method. Samples of three different types of wood, Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica), were initially ground to a powder followed by being inoculated with two types of rot fungi, brown rot fungus (Rhodonia placenta) and white rot fungus (Trametes versicolor). To analyse how different modification methods may affect this resistance, acetylated Norway spruce and thermally modified Scots pine and European beech was inoculated as well. The influence of the degradation products formed during the thermal modification process was studied by solvent extraction on parts of the thermally modified samples.... (More)
The inherent resistance to fungal degradation of wood was studied using the paste test method. Samples of three different types of wood, Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica), were initially ground to a powder followed by being inoculated with two types of rot fungi, brown rot fungus (Rhodonia placenta) and white rot fungus (Trametes versicolor). To analyse how different modification methods may affect this resistance, acetylated Norway spruce and thermally modified Scots pine and European beech was inoculated as well. The influence of the degradation products formed during the thermal modification process was studied by solvent extraction on parts of the thermally modified samples. The growth was followed over time by taking pictures and analyse the area covered by the fungus by image analysis.

Statistical analyses of fungal growth on petri dishes mixed with untreated samples indicated no significant difference in the growth per day. However, a difference in the maximum growth rate was shown where F. sylvatica exhibited a higher growth rate than the other two species. For the modified samples, several significant differences were observed both internally between modification methods within the same wood species and externally in the combination of different wood species and different modification methods. Samples of F. sylvatica that were both heat-treated and where the degradation products were extracted had a lower resistance to fungal attack than samples of other wood species and or modification treatment. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Träets inneboende motståndskraft mot svampnedbrytning studerades med hjälp av paste test metoden. Prover av tre olika träslag, rödgran (Picea abies), tall (Pinus sylvestris) och bok (Fagus sylvatica), maldes först till pulver och inokulerades sedan med två typer av rötsvampar, brunrötsvamp (Rhodonia placenta) och vitrötsvamp (Trametes versicolor). För att analysera hur olika modifieringsmetoder kan påverka denna resistens inokulerades även acetylerad rödgran och värmebehandlad tall och europeisk bok. Inverkan av de nedbrytningsprodukter som bildades under värmebehandlingen studerades genom lösningsmedelsextraktion på delar av de värmebehandlade proverna. Tillväxten följdes över tid genom att ta bilder och analysera det område som täcktes... (More)
Träets inneboende motståndskraft mot svampnedbrytning studerades med hjälp av paste test metoden. Prover av tre olika träslag, rödgran (Picea abies), tall (Pinus sylvestris) och bok (Fagus sylvatica), maldes först till pulver och inokulerades sedan med två typer av rötsvampar, brunrötsvamp (Rhodonia placenta) och vitrötsvamp (Trametes versicolor). För att analysera hur olika modifieringsmetoder kan påverka denna resistens inokulerades även acetylerad rödgran och värmebehandlad tall och europeisk bok. Inverkan av de nedbrytningsprodukter som bildades under värmebehandlingen studerades genom lösningsmedelsextraktion på delar av de värmebehandlade proverna. Tillväxten följdes över tid genom att ta bilder och analysera det område som täcktes av svampen med hjälp av bildanalys.
Statistiska analyser av svamptillväxt på petriskålar blandade med obehandlade prover visade ingen signifikant skillnad i tillväxt. En indikation på en skillnad i tillväxthastighet visades dock där F. sylvatica uppvisade högre värden än de andra två arterna. För de modifierade proverna observerades flera signifikanta skillnader både internt mellan modifieringsmetoder inom samma träslag och externt i kombinationen av olika träslag och olika modifieringsmetoder. Prover av F. sylvatica som både värmebehandlats och där nedbrytningsprodukterna extraherats hade lägre motståndskraft mot svampangrepp än prover av andra träslag och/eller modifieringsbehandlingar. (Less)
Popular Abstract
To meet the Swedish government's environmental goals, wood as a building material has taken a larger part in the building market today. However wood is degraded by fungi if exposed to water or high moisture levels. To offset this, different modification methods of wooden materials have been developed to counteract fungal degradations. This study aims to analyse the effects of these different modifications.
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author
Forsman, Maximilian Benedict LU
supervisor
organization
course
VBMM01 20252
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Acetylation, bio-based, beech, spruce, modification, fungal-degradation, pine, wood, heat-treatment
publication/series
LUTVDG/TVBB
report number
5146
other publication id
LUTVG/TVBB-5146-SE
language
English
id
9224685
date added to LUP
2026-03-25 06:53:49
date last changed
2026-03-25 06:53:49
@misc{9224685,
  abstract     = {{The inherent resistance to fungal degradation of wood was studied using the paste test method. Samples of three different types of wood, Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica), were initially ground to a powder followed by being inoculated with two types of rot fungi, brown rot fungus (Rhodonia placenta) and white rot fungus (Trametes versicolor). To analyse how different modification methods may affect this resistance, acetylated Norway spruce and thermally modified Scots pine and European beech was inoculated as well. The influence of the degradation products formed during the thermal modification process was studied by solvent extraction on parts of the thermally modified samples. The growth was followed over time by taking pictures and analyse the area covered by the fungus by image analysis. 

Statistical analyses of fungal growth on petri dishes mixed with untreated samples indicated no significant difference in the growth per day. However, a difference in the maximum growth rate was shown where F. sylvatica exhibited a higher growth rate than the other two species. For the modified samples, several significant differences were observed both internally between modification methods within the same wood species and externally in the combination of different wood species and different modification methods. Samples of F. sylvatica that were both heat-treated and where the degradation products were extracted had a lower resistance to fungal attack than samples of other wood species and or modification treatment.}},
  author       = {{Forsman, Maximilian Benedict}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{LUTVDG/TVBB}},
  title        = {{Resistance to fungal degradation of modified and unmodified wood}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}