Marine Degradation of Untreated and Chemically Treated Wood Evaluated by X-ray CT Scanning

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate wood degradation caused by marine borers by accurate and non-destructive methods. The degree of degradation in untreated cedar wood (heartwood and sapwood) and various chemically treated woods (citric acid-treated, furfuryl alcohol-treated, and glyoxal resin-treated) was evaluated and compared using visual inspection, mass loss rate, and volume loss rate calculated from X-ray CT scanning images of each test specimen. The results showed that the evaluation based on volume loss rate could reflect the internal degradation of the wood, even in wood with minor damage. As a result of analyzing the deterioration of various types of wood after marine exposure using the volume loss rate, the heartwood was found to be more resistant to marine insects than the sapwood, and that chemically treated wood has higher marine insect resistance than untreated wood.