Mechanical and natural durability properties of wood treated with a novel organic preservative/consolidant product

An organic preservative/consolidant of new formulation was selected in order to evaluate its effect on the mechanical properties of worm-eaten walnut wood. Walnut wood is widely used for the realization of artistic handworks (e.g. statues, altars, etc.) furniture and flooring. The flexural strength and modulus of elasticity, the toughness and the hardness were determined on both treated and untreated samples. The experimental results showed that the product increased significantly the flexural strength while the other mechanical properties were not appreciably affected by the chemical treatment. The microstructure of the samples tested was observed using scanning electron microscopy. The preserving character against insects of the investigated product was assessed by both visual inspection and measurements of weight loss on the treated specimens after their exposure to living insects. The samples on which the product was applied, exposed to Oligomerus ptilinoides for one year, were more resistant to decay than the corresponding untreated samples. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.