Thermal modification of OSB-strands by a one-step heat pre-treatment – Influence of temperature on weight loss, hygroscopicity and improved fungal resistance

Thermal modification of wood leads to improved resistance against fungal decay and decreased moisture uptake. Polyoses contribute most to the sorption behaviour of wood and act as main nutrition source for fungi. Thus, especially the conversion of polyoses has major impact on the degree of improvement. Thermal decomposition of wood is accompanied by weight loss. In this work the influence of temperature on weight loss, resulting equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and fungal resistance of OSB-strands is shown. It was found that EMC reaches a constant level, indicating completed reduction of free accessible hydroxyl groups. The levelling was ascertained to be irrespective of the temperature and duration of the pre-treatment. An improved fungal resistance according to durability class 3 and better was found for samples pre-treated above 200 °C. The presented correlation between reduced EMC and improved fungal resistance provides a tool for efficient determination of the durability of thermally modified wood.