Decay of thermally modified engineered wood products

In this study, rated plywood, oriented strand board, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber were thermally modified as a posttreatment at 1408C, 1508C, 1608C, 1708C, and 1808C using a closed, pressurized treatment method. Eastern larch oriented strand board manufactured from heartwood and sapwood was also thermally modified as a posttreatment at 1608C and 1808C. All specimens were subjected to laboratory soil block durability tests according to American Wood Protection Association E10-12 utilizing Gloeophyllum trabeum (brown rot) and Trametes versicolor (white rot) fungi. Heat treatment caused a reduction in weight loss for most substrate and fungi combinations.