TY - JOUR A1 - Shabir Mahr, Muhammad A1 - Hübert, Thomas A1 - Stephan, Ina A1 - Militz, H. T1 - Decay protection of wood against brown-rot fungi by titanium alkoxide impregnations T2 - International biodeterioration & biodegradation N2 - Decay resistance of pine sapwood treated with titanium alkoxide solutions was tested against the brown-rot fungi Coniophora puteana and Poria placenta for exposure times of 10 and 16 wk. In practice, wood-specimens were vacuum-impregnated by alcoholic solutions of titanium alkoxide with concentrations in the range of 5–16 mass % (solid content in solution) and subsequently cured under different humidity conditions. Results reveal that treated wood degraded up to 5% in comparison to untreated one that deteriorated 38% and 50%, respectively against both wood-decay fungi. Even full protection (mass loss below 3%) was achieved against brown rot with titanium alkoxide solution containing solid content of around 5 mass% with a weight percentage gain (WPG) of 9 mass%. With increased concentration, fungal resistance decreased slightly which was associated with more cracks and imperfections formed in the deposited layers of titanium dioxide in the adjacent wood matrix. Thermal analysis verified that a considerable amount of precursor remained in the wood structure as un-hydrolyzed organic residues. These organics, being bioactive, had the tendency to induce similar fungicidal effects as those of conventional fungicides. The amount of organic residues is correlated with the decay resistance of the tested samples. In a prolonged decay test, mass losses of 16-wk incubated samples do not show behavior different from that of the wood samples incubated for 10 wk. This result implies that the decay protection is permanent and confirms further the fungicidal activity of titanium-alkoxide-treated wood. PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Barking KW - Precursor solutions KW - Sol-gel process KW - Equivalent solid content KW - Brown rot KW - Coniophora puteana KW - Poria placenta KW - Fungal colonization KW - Biocidal effect PY - 2013 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-bam/frontdoor/index/index/docId/27622 AN - OPUS4-27622 SN - 0964-8305 VL - 77 SP - 56 EP - 62 AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany