Effect of cryogenic process on Trametes versicolor and Fomitopsis palustris fungal destruction in ThermoWood® products of some wood species

Aspen, ash, spruce, and fir trees naturally grown in Turkey were obtained directly from the forest and processed using ThermoWood®(TM) processing at two different temperatures (190 °C: TW1 and at 212 °C: TW2). Then, cryogenic treatment (Cr) was applied to the samples, and they were placed in a jar containing Trametes versicolor (COV) and Fomitopsis palustris (TYP) mushrooms. Their weight loss (WL) was measured after 12 weeks. Although WL results varied depending on the tree type and the applied processes, it has been understood that Cr application can be effective in reducing WL. According to the study, the lowest WL was determined to be in COV fungus with 1.2% in cryogenically treated fir tree TW2 samples. The highest WL was in TYP mushrooms with 56.1% in spruce TW1 samples that received heat treatment (HT). The results obtained from the study show that cryogenic treatment may be an alternative method for reducing WL in heat treated wood species.