STATE OF THE ART REVIEWS

COST ACTION E22: Environmental optimisation of wood protection
Heat treatment known as "thermic shock", represents one of the physical methods
of fighting against insects attack (Anobium, Lyctus, Hylotrupes). This method
consists in heating of timber at 50-65ºfor eliminating all the insects (in any larvae,
pupa or adult stage); (heating time depends on wood species, width and thickness).
Modified wood
Under the generic nomination there are known more types of lignocellulosic
materials of which:
- wood modified by changing the particularities of one or more compounds in
the wood structure (for example, by changing the hydroxyl group existing in
the pulp structure with other functional group by esterification process, etc.)
- wood improved by its treatment with various chemicals in certain technological
conditions.
Our researches have in mind the obtaining and characterisation of a poplar wood
modified by preservation with styrene polymerised in situ through ionising radiation
emitted by isotope 60 Co.
The purpose was the improvement of solid wood by monomer impregnation followed
by polymerisation through irradiation.
For the resulted modified wood we have adopted the following codes:
- poplar wood - polystyrene = LP (p) PS;
- alder wood - polystyrene = LP (a) PS;
- beech wood - polystyrene = LP (f) PS.
In the monomer utilised for solid wood impregnation it is added an additive
namely benzoyl peroxide as polymerisation initiating agent. The wood sample
impregnation is carried out in an autoclave while the polymerisation with gamma
radiation is performed in a suitable plant within the Institute of Physics and
Nuclear Engineering Bucharest.
5. ANNEXES
Annex 1 lists the Organisations who responded to the request for information, together
with details about their contact persons and co-ordinates.
Annex 2 summarises the activities in the particular Working Groups of E22 using the
standard template.
Annex 3 gives an overview about wood preservation activities in Romania.
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