TY - JOUR AU - Knapic, Sofia AU - Santos, Joana AU - Santos, José AU - Pereira, Helena PY - 2018/07/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Natural durability assessment of thermo-modified young wood of eucalyptus JF - Maderas-Cienc Tecnol JA - Maderas-Cienc Tecnol VL - 20 IS - 3 SE - Article DO - UR - https://revistas.ubiobio.cl/index.php/MCT/article/view/3159 SP - 489-498 AB - <p>This study focuses on the effect on wood strength and natural durability of <em>Eucalyptus globulus</em> and <em>Eucalyptus botryoides</em> when subjected to heat treatments with low energy consumption. The objective was to improve the wood durability, without negatively impacting the strength properties. Six-year-old trees from <em>Eucalyptus</em><em> globulus</em> and <em>Eucalyptus</em><em> botryoides</em> were used.</p><p>The samples were heat treated for 4 h conditioned to very low oxygen availability. A field test for assessing the resistance to termites and fungal degradation was conducted according to EN 252:1989/AC1:1989 Inspections were made every six months for 3 years. All the samples of <em>Eucalyptus globulus</em> showed signs of termite and microorganisms attack, most showing extensive galleries. <em>Eucalyptus botryoides</em> wood showed no sign of termite attack and only few traces of microrganisms presence. The wood bending strength was smaller upon thermal treatment for both species, decreasing 3.8% and 4.8% for <em>Eucalyptus globulus </em>and <em>Eucalyptus botryoides</em>, respectively. Overall the results are promising regarding some common utilizations, mainly floor coverings, decks, doors and door and window frames, fences (only for <em>Eucalyptus botryoides</em>), decorative arbors and pergolas (only for <em>Eucalyptus botryoides</em>), but excluding structural beams for building roofs or bridges due to the fragility of the wood treated thermally towards impacts.</p> ER -