Page 13 - InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2020, Integrating Sustainability and Health in Buildings
P. 13
luation of Biofinish for Wood Protection
Faksawat Poohphajai1,2, Anna Sandak1,3, Michael Altgen2, Lauri Rautkari2
1 InnoRenew CoE, faksawat.poohphajai@innorenew.eu
2 Aalto University, School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems
3 University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
Wood is a versatile, natural and environmentally friendly material that has attracted attention
for sustainable building for many years. However, wood is susceptible to deterioration during
weathering and biological attacks, and, therefore, wood products require protective measures to
extend their service life in outdoor applications. For sustainable use, the environmental impact
of such protective treatments should be as low as possible. Biofinish is a fungal-based wood
treatment with protective functionalities and self-repairing properties. This environmentally
friendly treatment has several advantages compared to traditional wood surface protection
methods due to its self-repairing property, low maintenance cost and absence of harmful chemicals
(Peeters et al., 2018). The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction of biofilm that is
built up by Aureobasidium pullulans with wood materials and its subsequent ability to protect the
wood substrate against photodegradation. Growth of fungal hyphae over time and deposition
of extracellular substances on the wood surface was investigated microscopically. Biofinish-
treated wood was also exposed to artificial weathering cycles that included UV irradiation and
water soaking. Protection of the wood by Biofinish treatment against photodegradation was
assessed by micro-tensile tests combined with FT-IR spectroscopy. Furthermore, cellular-level
chemical changes in the wood substrate below the Biofinish layer were analysed by confocal
Raman microscopy. The outcome of this study may be utilized to improve and further control
Biofinish treatment with stable characteristics under service life conditions.
Keywords: Biofinish, photodegradation, micro-tensile testing, vibrational spectroscopy
Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding
the InnoRenew project (Grant Agreement #739574 under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming
program) and the Republic of Slovenia (investment funding of the Republic of Slovenia and the
European Union’s European Regional Development Fund). Special thanks to Xylotrade B.V. for
providing Biofinish solution.
REFERENCE
Peeters, L. H. M., Huinink, H. P., Voogt, B., & Adan, O. C. G. (2018). Oil type and cross-linking influence growth of
Aureobasidium melanogenum on vegetable oils as a single carbon source. MicrobiologyOpen, 7(6), [e00605]. DOI:
10.1002/mbo3.605
INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH IN BUILDINGS THROUGH RENEWABLE MATERIALS
13
Faksawat Poohphajai1,2, Anna Sandak1,3, Michael Altgen2, Lauri Rautkari2
1 InnoRenew CoE, faksawat.poohphajai@innorenew.eu
2 Aalto University, School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems
3 University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
Wood is a versatile, natural and environmentally friendly material that has attracted attention
for sustainable building for many years. However, wood is susceptible to deterioration during
weathering and biological attacks, and, therefore, wood products require protective measures to
extend their service life in outdoor applications. For sustainable use, the environmental impact
of such protective treatments should be as low as possible. Biofinish is a fungal-based wood
treatment with protective functionalities and self-repairing properties. This environmentally
friendly treatment has several advantages compared to traditional wood surface protection
methods due to its self-repairing property, low maintenance cost and absence of harmful chemicals
(Peeters et al., 2018). The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction of biofilm that is
built up by Aureobasidium pullulans with wood materials and its subsequent ability to protect the
wood substrate against photodegradation. Growth of fungal hyphae over time and deposition
of extracellular substances on the wood surface was investigated microscopically. Biofinish-
treated wood was also exposed to artificial weathering cycles that included UV irradiation and
water soaking. Protection of the wood by Biofinish treatment against photodegradation was
assessed by micro-tensile tests combined with FT-IR spectroscopy. Furthermore, cellular-level
chemical changes in the wood substrate below the Biofinish layer were analysed by confocal
Raman microscopy. The outcome of this study may be utilized to improve and further control
Biofinish treatment with stable characteristics under service life conditions.
Keywords: Biofinish, photodegradation, micro-tensile testing, vibrational spectroscopy
Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding
the InnoRenew project (Grant Agreement #739574 under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming
program) and the Republic of Slovenia (investment funding of the Republic of Slovenia and the
European Union’s European Regional Development Fund). Special thanks to Xylotrade B.V. for
providing Biofinish solution.
REFERENCE
Peeters, L. H. M., Huinink, H. P., Voogt, B., & Adan, O. C. G. (2018). Oil type and cross-linking influence growth of
Aureobasidium melanogenum on vegetable oils as a single carbon source. MicrobiologyOpen, 7(6), [e00605]. DOI:
10.1002/mbo3.605
INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH IN BUILDINGS THROUGH RENEWABLE MATERIALS
13
