Effects of a Combined Elevated-Pressure Hybrid Wood-Modification System Demonstrating Synergistic Effects on Durability Performance

The combination of different wood-modification technologies to obtain improved performance is increasingly receiving attention in research. In this study, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood was impregnated with furfuryl alcohol (FFA) in pure aqueous 20, 40, and 60% solution strength without adding any catalyst. In a second step, the FFA was polymerized while simultaneously performing thermal modification in a closed system at 130, 150, or 180 °C. After leaching and ageing tests, the nine different combinations were tested in use class 4 applications (in contact with or very close to the ground and frequently wet) according to CEN/TS 15083-2 (2005) decay laboratory test. It was noted that even the minimum-intensity combination of 20% FFA at 130 °C resulted in maximum durability class (DC) 1 performance. On the contrary, DC 4 was assigned to thermally modified control samples, even at the maximum intensity of thermal modification. Similarly, for FFA modifications, previous research has suggested that an uptake of 35% solution strength is required to obtain an adequate durability performance in use class 4 applications. High levels of resistance against termites were also noted by corresponding termite lab tests. Moisture studies showed the combined treatments resulted in improved stability and reduced moisture uptakes. Thus, the results obtained by this study revealed synergistic performance effects, which originate from the combined thermo-chemical modification approach, and which were higher than simple accumulation of the individual performance of purely thermally or chemically modified wood. Thus, the presented findings have provided positive implications for industrial applications of thermo-chemical modification techniques and offers an array of new research opportunities.