Preliminary study of thermal treatment effects on mold growth of selected Quebec wood species

ThermoWood® is a Finnish process used for heat treatment of wood at a temperature range of 180 to 260 °C. This process was introduced to Quebec, Canada, by Ohlin Thermo Tech. During the initial start-up period, five types of Quebec wood (spruce (Pices spp.), pine (Pinus spp.), fir (Abies spp.), aspen (Populus spp.), and birch (Betula spp.)) were thermally treated in Ohlin Thermo Tech laboratory furnace using ThermoWood® technology. The resistance of the treated wood against mold fungi was examined. Preliminary experimental results indicated that mold resistance of spruce, pine, fir, aspen, and birch can be improved through the thermal modification. The significance of mold resistance improvement was governed by heat treatment schedule in terms of maximum temperature level and heat treatment processing time, which were affected by initial MC and thickness of the boards to be treated.