Possibility of using lichen and mistletoe extracts as potential natural wood preservative

Ümit Cafer Yildiz,Aysenur Gürgen,Sibel Yildiz,Ceyhun Kilic

doi:10.4067/s0718-221x2020005000204

Abstract

Increasing environmental pressures on toxic chemical wood preservatives lead to the development of natural and environmentally friendly wood preservatives. In this study, using possibilities of lichen (Usnea filipendula) and leaves of mistletoe (Viscum album) as potential natural wood preservative were researched. Impregnation procedure was applied at four different concentration levels and with two different extraction methods (hot water and methanol). The concentration levels were arranged as 3%, 5%, 10%, 15% for hot water and as 3.75%, 6.25%, 12.5%, 18.75% for methanol. The treatment procedure has been applied according to the ASTM D 1413 (1988) standard test method. The fungal decay test has been done according to the EN 113 (1996) standard test method using a brown rot fungus, Coniophora puteana for both treated test and untreated control samples. The best results were obtained at the highest concentration level of the solutions. However, the weight losses in treated test specimen have not met the standard requirements. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that both natural extracts provide promising protection performance.

Highlights

There is some concern that metal-containing wood preservatives cause environmental degradation or affect human health
The retention of solutions prepared with hot water extraction were found higher than the retention of solutions prepared with methanol in both lichen and mistletoe
The retention rate of natural extract solutions was the highest in 15% mistletoe prepared with hot water, and the lowest in 3,75% mistletoe preapered with methanol

Summary

Introduction

There is some concern that metal-containing wood preservatives cause environmental degradation or affect human health. A few review articles have been published about usage of natural oils and extracts in wood protection (Evans 2003, Yang 2009, Singh and Singh 2012, González-Laredo et al 2015). The performance difference between laboratory and field tests of natural preservatives has limited the commercial use of these substances (González-Laredo et al 2015) In another aspect, it is stated that there are few limiting factors for the use of natural products in the preservation of wood, on the contrary, that there is a great potential for the evaluation of natural compounds such as wood preservatives (Singh and Singh 2012). It is stated that natural compounds exhibit promising results, but they cannot compete with industrial wood preservatives in terms of current requirements in the wood preservation industry, low cost and long-term durability (Yang 2009)

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Conclusion