Electro-osmosis is the motion of a polar liquid through a porous material when the material is subjected to an electric field. Electro osmotic pulsing technology (EOP) has been used in the past to draw water out of porous materials and it has also been used as a method to stop the flow of water into concrete. Studies at the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute (NFLI) indicate that EOP can additionally be employed in wood protection. To protect wood, a low frequency pulsed direct current is applied via electrodes attached to both ends of the wood sample. NFLI has shown that EOP does not dry wood below the moisture level to make it unsuitable for fungal growth but, nevertheless it has been shown to stop decay fungi from attacking wood.
Given these earlier findings, several theories have been raised about the mode of action of EOP on fungi degrading wood. The intent of the current three-year PhD project is to delve deeper into the EOP mechanism and clarify the mode of action of electro osmotic pulsing technology. Water movement and the structure of fungal degradation in wood are important topics in this study and will be thoroughly investigated during the project.
Keywords: wood protection, electro osmotic pulsing, fungal degradation
Authors
Kängsepp K.
Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås
Larnøy E.
Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, Ås
Militz H.
Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen
Goodell B.
Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Virginia, USA
Login to download the PDF