Enhancing the Thermal and Fungal Resistance of Wood Treated with Natural and Synthetic Derived Epoxy Resins

The paper describes new epoxy derivatives and their influences on wood thermal and fungi stability. Epoxy derivatives were thermally and photochemically cross-linked. The softwood samples, modified with succinic anhydride, were impregnated individually or in the mixture with glycidyl methacrylate, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, and epoxidized grapeseed oil and cross-linked afterward. The samples impregnated with glycidyl methacrylate were first exposed to UV at 254 nm for 30 min on all surfaces and thermally cross-linked for 5 h at 130 degrees C and 30 min at 150 degrees C. The samples were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and decay resistance to fungi. The untreated samples exhibited the most significant mass losses. Evolved gas analysis was undertaken. The sample containing epoxy grapeseed oil exhibited a superior thermal stability and decay resistance to Penicillium chrysogenum and Cladosporium cladosporioides.