Final Report Summary - SURFASAM (Innovative "green wood treatment" to achieve Risk Class4 protection)
In Western Europe, there is a growing interest and market for wood construction since timber is available and consumers are attracted by the environmentally-friendly image and advantages of wood. While traditional construction is mainly led by big companies manufacturing concrete, sawnwood activity is most favourable to the development of SMEs along the whole 'forest wood chain'. Yet, there are many barriers to overcome to make wood competitive and adopted by a larger amount of consumers. One of them is the deterioration of the material when exposed to outdoor conditions requiring protection with special treatments.
These treatments include biocides (formerly known as 'non-agricultural pesticides') used to destroy and exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. They are still widely used in most of the countries, but the tendency in the future is to control their use. Currently, the highest level of biological protection, Use Class 4 is usually reached with treatments that inject in the wood toxic products such as creosote, hydrosoluble salts, or even insecticides and fungicides.
Objectives:
The objective of the SURFASAM project was to develop an innovative, safe and efficient solution for the in depth protection of wood against biological predators by using a 'green chemical process' applicable by the SMEs without risks. This solution, completed with a surface coating, will satisfy Use Class 4 protection and provide a new scientific base for the application of the European Directives controlling and reducing the use of chemical compounds that are toxic to humans, animals and the environment.
Results:
The first part of this project consisted in defining the four wood species that will be studied during the project and used as reference samples. The selection was made in order to combine a panel of wood species of interest for the industrial partner and representative of the European forest. The choice also had to include the wood species that are the EU standards for the biological analysis.
A first selection of eight wood species was made with the aforementioned conditions. Another selection criteria was the impregnability of the wood with regards to the first product ASAM already developed by the INPT. The first wood species selected were impregnated with ASAM under vacuum-pressure standard EN 350-2 process. The results of the impregnation allowed the final selection of the four wood species representative of a large impregnability range and also most representative of the industrial partners interest: two hardwoods, oak and beech and two softwoods, Scots pine and Spruce.
The first period of the laboratory research consisted in the preparation of the wood samples for the experimental plans. Three sizes of samples were prepared by the partners for the four wood species: overall 3380 samples of 5x10x30 mm, 20x20x5 mm, 25x8x30 mm and 10x5x100 mm sizes that will be used for microscopic analysis and swelling measurements. All the samples were stored in conditioning chamber at 20 degrees Celsius for 3 weeks before impregnation.
The first part of the laboratory experimental plan consisted in the preparation of the new ASA-like products (called ASAx) to be used for the impregnation. Ten different ASAx were prepared from sunflower (naturally rich in linoleic acid) and rapeseed (naturally rich in oleic acid) oils.
These treatments include biocides (formerly known as 'non-agricultural pesticides') used to destroy and exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. They are still widely used in most of the countries, but the tendency in the future is to control their use. Currently, the highest level of biological protection, Use Class 4 is usually reached with treatments that inject in the wood toxic products such as creosote, hydrosoluble salts, or even insecticides and fungicides.
Objectives:
The objective of the SURFASAM project was to develop an innovative, safe and efficient solution for the in depth protection of wood against biological predators by using a 'green chemical process' applicable by the SMEs without risks. This solution, completed with a surface coating, will satisfy Use Class 4 protection and provide a new scientific base for the application of the European Directives controlling and reducing the use of chemical compounds that are toxic to humans, animals and the environment.
Results:
The first part of this project consisted in defining the four wood species that will be studied during the project and used as reference samples. The selection was made in order to combine a panel of wood species of interest for the industrial partner and representative of the European forest. The choice also had to include the wood species that are the EU standards for the biological analysis.
A first selection of eight wood species was made with the aforementioned conditions. Another selection criteria was the impregnability of the wood with regards to the first product ASAM already developed by the INPT. The first wood species selected were impregnated with ASAM under vacuum-pressure standard EN 350-2 process. The results of the impregnation allowed the final selection of the four wood species representative of a large impregnability range and also most representative of the industrial partners interest: two hardwoods, oak and beech and two softwoods, Scots pine and Spruce.
The first period of the laboratory research consisted in the preparation of the wood samples for the experimental plans. Three sizes of samples were prepared by the partners for the four wood species: overall 3380 samples of 5x10x30 mm, 20x20x5 mm, 25x8x30 mm and 10x5x100 mm sizes that will be used for microscopic analysis and swelling measurements. All the samples were stored in conditioning chamber at 20 degrees Celsius for 3 weeks before impregnation.
The first part of the laboratory experimental plan consisted in the preparation of the new ASA-like products (called ASAx) to be used for the impregnation. Ten different ASAx were prepared from sunflower (naturally rich in linoleic acid) and rapeseed (naturally rich in oleic acid) oils.
