Research Output
Relationships between mechanical properties, weight loss and chemical composition of wood during incipient brown rot decay.
  Incipient decay of wood by brown-rot fungi causes measurable strength losses in wood before measurable weight loss occurs. Previous studies have shown that the high levels of strength loss that occur during incipient brown-rot decay may be related to loss in hemicellulose. This study investigates the effect of decay on hemicellulose composition and the relationship of decay to the mechanical properties of the wood. An in vitro test method was used to allow progressive sampling of southern pine exposed to monocultures of brown-rot fungi.
The wood was subsequently analyzed by mechanical testing
and chemical analysis. The results demonstrated a ratio of strength to weight loss of approximately 4: I. The chemical data indicated that early strength loss (up to
40%) was associated with loss of arabinan and galactan components. Subsequent strength loss (greater than 40%) was associated with the loss of the mannan and xylan
components. Significant loss of glucan (representing cellulose) was only detected at greater than 75 percent modulus of rupture loss.

  • Type:

    Article

  • Date:

    01 July 2002

  • Publication Status:

    Published

  • Publisher

    Forest Products Society

  • ISSN:

    0015-7473

Citation

Curling, S., Clausen, C. A., & Winandy, J. E. (2002). Relationships between mechanical properties, weight loss and chemical composition of wood during incipient brown rot decay. Forest Products Journal, 52, 34-39

Keywords

wood; brown-rot fungi; decay; strength loss; hemicellulose; southern pine; arabinan; galactan; mannan; xylan;

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