ABSTRACT
This work aimed to evaluate the natural durability of oriented strandboards (OSB) manufactured with strands of Hevea brasiliensis Müll.Arg. bonded with 5% and 8% of urea-formaldehyde (UF) and phenol-formadehyde (FF) resins, exposed to xilophagous fungi under laboratory conditions. In accelerated laboratory test decay, samples of OSB were exposed to the following fungi: the brown-rot fungi Gloeophyllum trabeum (Pers. ex Fries) Murr., Coniophora puteana (Schumach. : Fr.)P. Karst., Meruliporia incrassata (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Murrill as well as the white-rot fungi Fomes annosus (Fr. : Fr.) Cooke, Trametes versicolor (L. : Fr.) Pilát, Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat., Bjerkandera fumosa (Pers. : Fr.) P. Karst. and Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burds. Among the brown-rot fungi, the Gloeophyllum trabeum was the most aggressive, showing the highest loss of mass. Trametes versicolor and Ganoderma applanatum confirmed the preference for broadleave species. All oriented strandboards at lower UF resin contents were more degraded by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma applanatum, Merulia incrassata, Coniophora puteana and Gloeophyllum trabeum, with high rate of loss of mass. Coniophora puteana showed small loss of mass when FF resin was applied. Bjerkandera fumosa showed low loss of mass only at higher resin content. Oriented strandboards exposed to Coniophora puteana showed insignificant OSB degradation.
Keywords:
natural durability; xilophagous fungi; Hevea brasiliensis; OSB