Impact of a low pulsed electric field on the fungal degradation of wood in laboratory trials

Published Date

October 2016, Vol.114:244–251, doi:10.1016/j.ibiod.2016.07.007

Title 

Impact of a low pulsed electric field on the fungal degradation of wood in laboratory trials

• Author 

• Andreas Treu ^,
• Erik Larnøy 

• Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Department Wood Technology, Pb. 115, 1431, Ås, Norway

Received 11 July 2015. Revised 28 June 2016. Accepted 7 July 2016. Available online 16 July 2016.

Highlights

• •
  We examine a low pulsed electric field as a protective measure against wood decay.
• •
  Different wood and fungal species can be protected.
• •
  The test setup and the connection material play an important role.
• •
  The mode of action is still unclear.

Abstract

Wood protection against fungal decay is mainly based on chemical protection. Nontoxic protection methods have become more important in Europe due to environmental concerns. A method using electric fields to inhibit wood decay by fungi has been investigated in laboratory trials and wood mass loss and moisture content after exposure to fungal attack were determined.

The results show significantly reduced mass loss for wood samples exposed to a low pulsed electric field (LPEF), while wood samples connected to alternating and direct current displayed higher mass loss compared to LPEF. Changing the electrode material reduced the mass increase due to metal ion transfer into the wood samples for LPEF-exposed samples. The use of conductive polymer instead of metal electrodes and carbon fibers was preferable as no ions were transferred and the integrity of the material persisted. Decay of pre-exposed wood samples to white rot could be stopped or slowed down by means of LPEF.

Keywords

• Low pulsed electric field
• Wood decay
• Wood protection
• Fungal attack
• Conductive polymer

---

 Table 1

Table 1.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

 Table 2

Table 2.

 Table 3

Table 3.

 Table 4

Table 4.

 Table 5

Table 5.

• ∗ 
  Corresponding author.
  
  

For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964830516302268