Abstract
ABSTRACTIn this study, mould and blue stain susceptibility, capillary water uptake (CWU) and microstructural properties of two thermo-hydro-treated (THT) birch plywood products A and B were investigated. Plywood A represented a THT industrial plywood glued with a phenol formaldehyde (PF) adhesive. Plywood B represented panels from THT veneers glued with a PF film. The THT regimes were (temperature, °C/time, min): 150/10, 150/50, 160/10 and 160/50. Both THT plywood products and untreated samples were resistant to mould and blue stain growth in 1 month of exposure in laboratory and outdoor conditions. A statistically significant correlation between fungal growth in laboratory and outdoor conditions for plywood products A and B was not found (P > .05). Artificial weathering of both plywood products provided adverse fungal growth results compared to the natural weathering test outdoors. The fungal growth on plywood A and B samples mutually strongly correlated (P < .05) only in the outdoor test. Plywood B samples demonstrated a much lower CWU than plywood A, obviously because of microstructural changes, including densification, and type of glue used. Lower CWU of THT plywood in comparison with untreated samples did not provide clear evidence on inhibition of fungal growth.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
