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Wood/plastic ratio: Effect on performance of borate biocides against a brown rot fungus
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Wood/plastic ratio: Effect on performance of borate biocides against a brown rot fungus

J Simonsen, C M Freitag, A Silva and Jeffrey J Morrell
Holzforschung, Vol.58(2), pp.205-208
2004
url
https://doi.org/10.1515/HF.2004.031View
Published Version

Abstract

borate brown rot Gloeophyllum trabeum wood/plastic composites
The effect of wood/plastic ratio and the presence of a boron compound on resistance to biodegradation of wood plastic composites (WPC's) by the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum was investigated in a soil block exposure. Weight losses of all WPC's were generally lower than those of solid wood, even when only the wood component of the WPC was used in calculating weight loss. Higher wood content was associated with greater weight losses, suggesting that the plastic encapsulated wood at lower wood levels. Borates markedly reduced weight losses at all wood/plastic ratios. Weight losses tended to be slightly lower with a Na/Ca borate than with similar levels of zinc borate. Mechanical properties did not correlate well with weight losses under the conditions evaluated, but these effects may have been masked by moisture sorption. The causes and implications of these differences are discussed.

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Web Of Science research areas
Forestry
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
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