Durability of Impregnated Paulownia Wood with Nano-silver and Nano-copperAgainst White a Rot Fungus

摘要

Paulownia is known as a fast growing tree and it can be used in several applications. The present study investigated the effect of Nano-silver and Nano-copper on resistance of Paulownia (Paulownia fortunei) wood against the white rot fungus (Coriolusversicolor). Wood specimens with a dry density of 0.37g/cm3 were impregnated with a 400 ppm aqueous suspension of micronized nano silver and nano copper with particle sizes ranging from 10 to 80 nm , in a pressure vessel at 2.5 bars for 20 minutes. Treated specimens were inoculated with the fungus and incubated for sixteen weeks at 26°C with 65% relative humidity in accordance with the EN113 standard. After incubation the mean percentage weight losses of specimens were measured. Percentage weight lossof control samples was much higher than the treated ones. Results of the analysis of variance showed that the impregnation of wood with nanosilver and nanocopper significantly increases the decay resistance of Paulownia against this white rot fungus.