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IS 4873 : 1993

( Reaffirmed 1998 )

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Indian Standard
-METHOD OF LABORATORY TESTING OF
WOOD PRESERVATIVES AGAINST FUNGI

( First Revision 1

UDC

674-048.4 : 620.1

@ BIS 1993

BUREAU
MANAK

February 1993

OF
BHAVAN,

INDIAN

STANDARDS

9 BAHADUR
SHAH
NEW DELHI 110002

ZAFAR

MARG

Price Group 2

Timber Sectional

Committee,

CED 9

FOREWORD
This-Indian Standard ( First Revision ) was adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards, after the
draft finalized by the Timber Sectional Committee had been approved by the Civil Engineering
Division Council.
Details of preservatives, methods of preservative treatment,
etc, have been covered in IS 401 :
1982 Code of practice for preservation
of timber ( third revision ). This standard covers the
method for the laboratory testing of wood preservatives against fungi.
This standard was first published in 1968. Based on the experience gained in the use of this
standard, this revision has been brought out. Both the test fungi for preparation of test culture
in case of non-conifers mentioned in the earlier version, namely, Polyporous
versicolor ( Linn. )
Fr and Polystictus sanguineus ( L. ) Mev. were white rot fungi. Now Gloeophyllum trabeum ( Pers.
ex. Fries ) Murr. has been added which is very aggressive brown-rot fungus against wood.
In reporting the result of a test or analysis made in accordance
with this standard, if the final
value, observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be in accordance with IS 2 : 1960
Rules for rounding off numerical values ( revised).

IS 4873 : 1993

Indian Standard
METHOD OF LABORATORY TESTING OF
WOOD PRESERVATIVES AGAINST FUNGI

( First Revision )
1 SCOPE

2.3 Leaching Procedure

This standard lays down the method for the


laboratory determination
of threshold value of
wood preservatives against fungi by means of
soil block and Kolle flask methods.

The blocks shall be kept in beakers and weighed


Distilled water about
down with glass weights.
9 times the volume of the blocks shall be
poured into the beakers.
The blocks shall be
removed from the beakers after a period of two
hours.

2 SOIL BLOCK METHOD


2.1 Principle
Blocks of wood are impregnated
with different
and
after
concentrations
of preservative,
selected period of weathering, they are exposed
to the action of one or more wood destroying
fungi. The minimum amount of preservative
that completely protects the impregnated blocks
against decay by a given test fungus is defined
as the threshold
retention
for that organism.
The failure to protect is determined
by the
amount of weight loss in the treated wood
block.
2.2 Preparation of Test Sample
2.2.1 The test blocks as well as the feeder blocks
shall be made from all sapwood portion of chir
( Pinus roxburghii ) and mango ( Mangifera
indica ), free from knots mould and stain. The
test blocks shall be made of sizes 19 mm x 19
mm x 19 mm with a 3.2 mm central hole on
the tangential
face and the feeder blocks 4
mm x I9 mm x 35 mm along the length of
the grain.
2.2.2 The blocks shall then be dried in an oven
at 100C to 105C to a constant mass ( WI ).
Twelve blocks shall be treated
with each
concentration of the preservative. Leaching shall
start 3 days after treatment of the blocks with
o&type preservatives and 14 days after treatment with water-borne type preservatives.
Out
ofthe 12 treated
blocks, 6 blocks shall be
exposed for 14 days at 50C except for 2 hour
period on each of the first nine days, when
they shall be leached at room temperature.
Six
leached and six unleached test blocks shall be
conditioned
at 30C and 70 f 4 percent
relative humidity.

2.4 Treatment Procedure


The blocks, kept in a beaker under a weight to
prevent floating, shall be placed in a desiccator
connected to a manometer and a suction pump.
A partial vacuum ( 60 mm mercury ) shall be
created in desiccator for 30 minutes. The treating solution
prepared just prior to its use
shall be poured into the globe of the separating
funnel with its stem extending into the beaker
containing
the
blocks.
The
preservatives
solution shall then be run into the beaker
completely covering the blocks.
The vacuum
shall then be released.
The beaker will be
taken out and covered with a lid to prevent
the evaporation
of the preservative
solution.
The blocks shall be allowed to remain for 30
minutes and then taken out and weighed ( W, )
immediately after wiping the excess of preservative.
The mass of the treating solution
absorbed ( G ) shall be ( W, - WI ).
2.5 Calculation of Retention Value
The amount of preservative
solution absorbed
by block ( retention value in gm/mm3 ) shall be
calculated as follows:
Retention

GC

( R ) = =g/cm3

be converted

( this may

to the units of kg/m3 )

where
G = the mass of the treating
SdUtiOn
absorbed by block ( W, - WI ) in g,
C = the

mass

present
and

in

in g of the preservative
100 g of the treating solution,

T/ = the volume of the test block in cm3.

IS 4873 : 1993
The treated blocks shall then be conditioned
at_3OoC and 70 f 4 percent relative humidity
to a constant mass W,.
2.6 Preparation of Soil Culture Bottles
Sifted ( sieved ) air dried garden soil amounting to 125 g withpH between 5.0 and 7.0 shall
be filled ( compacted by tapping ) in ( 237 ml )
aluminium screwing capped bottles.
Distilled
water is added to this so as to obtain 130
percent of water holding capacity of soil in
test bottles. Two feeder blocks are then kept on
the surface of the soil, of the size mentioned
above.
Sterilize the prepared
bottles
with
caps loosened out 0.1 N/mm* for 60 minutes on
two consecutive days.
2.7 Preparation of Test Culture
After the sterilized culture bottles are thoroughly
cooled, cut the gungus inoculum ( see 2.7.1 )
approximately
10 mm square
from a not
more than 3-week old culture and place on the
edge of the feeder blocks.
Incubate the inoculated bottles with slightly loosened lids at
70 f 4 percent
relative
25C f 1C and
humidity
for approximately
3 weeks. The
bottles are then ready to receive the test blocks.

2.8 Infection of Test Blocks


Before putting the test blocks in the culture
bottles, place them by retention
groups into
tightly fitting containers
and steam at 100C
for 20 minutes at atmospheric
pressure.
After
cooling, place the test blocks with cross-section
face down on feeder
blocks in previously
prepared test bottles.
2.9 Incubation and Duration of Test
The bottles containing the test blocks shall be
placed in an incubator
25 rt 1C and relative
humidity 70 f 4 percent and kept there for a
period of 12 weeks.
At the end of the incubation period the blocks
shall be removed from the culture bottles,
cleaned of the adhering mycelium, taking care
not to remove the splinters of the wood, and
weigh them immediately if the moisture in the
blocks is to be determined.
The blocks shall
be dried in the warm air of the laboratory
and
then conditioned ( 30C and relative humidity
70 f 4 percent ) to a constant weight ( W, ).
2.10 Calculation of Mass Loss
Percentage mass loss will be calculated
from
the condition mass of the blocks before and
after testing.

2.7.1 The test fungi which are resistant to


antiseptics, grow quickly,and
rapidly cause a
loss in weight of test timber, shall be chosen.
The test fungi given in 2.7.1.1 and 2.7.1.2
generally satisfy these factors.

Mass loss,

W, = condition

test, and
W, = condition
test.

a) Lentinzrs lepideKs Fr. particularly


tolerant
creosote
or mixture
to
containing
creosotes; and

2.11 Threshold

b) Poria monticola
Murr.
particularly
tolerant to copper and zinc compounds.

a) Coriolus versicolor ( L. ex Fr. ) or Pycnoporus sanguineus ( L. ex Murr. ), and


( Pers. ex Fries )

2.7.2 The tolerant


fungus
shall always be
included in testing any preservative.
Other
important
wood rotting fungi may be substituted
for the non-tolerant
organisms in
special investigations.
* Some strains
concentration

of this fungus
of arsenic.

are

resistant

:o

mass of the
mass

of

block

the block

before
after

Retention

The purpose of the test is to determine the


minimum amount of preservative that is effective
in preventing
decay,
under the condition
of test, by a particular fungus. The amount
of preservative in terms of kg/m3 of wood is
retension.
The
referred to as <threshold
threshold value is determined
by estimating
the point at which percentage
weight looses
not exceeding
5 percent
caused by decay
occurs.

2.7.1.2 For non-conifers

trabeum

= Jv,
--wp- w, x 100
3

where

2.7.1.1 For conifers

b) Gloeophyllum
Murr.

percent

3 ALTERNATIVE METHOD
( KOLLE-FLASK ) METHOD
3.1 Preparation

AGAR-BLOCK

of Test Blocks

The test blocks shall be made from all sapwood


portion of chir ( Pinus roxburghii ) and mango

high

1s 4873 : 1993

( Mangifera Mica ) free from knots and moulds.


The test blocks shall be made of the size
50 mm x25 mm x 15 mm along the length of
the grain.

preparation of the flask. Sterile water should


be poured over the cotton wood pad in the neck
of the flask in order to maintain the idea1
conditions for fungal growth in the flask.

3.2 Conditioning

3.6 Infection

of Test Blocks

The procedure

is the same as given in 2.2.2.

3.3 Treatment

Procedure

The procedure
and 2.4.

is the

same

as given

in 2.3

3.4 Test Fungi


The test
in 2.7.1.

fungi

shall be the

same

as given

3.5 Medium -for -Growing Culture


A nutrient medium consisting of 20 g of agar
and 20 g of malt extract in a litre of distilled
Pour about 60 ml of
water shall be prepared.
this into each flask ( Kolle-flask ), then plug
with cotton wool and sterilize by autoclaving
at 0.1 N/mm2 ( 120C ) for a period of 20
minutes.
After sterilization, the flask shall be
laid flat so that the medium is retained by the
ridge in the neck of the flask. The medium is
inoculated with test fungus within 6 days after

of Test Blocks

The blocks shall be exposed to fungal attack by


placing them aseptically in the flask in which
theie are actively growing cultures of the test
fungi. The blocks should be placed on rings
or frames made of thin glass rod, so that the
blocks come in contact with theaerial mycelium
of the fungus and not the medium itself into
which some of the preservative
might otherwise leach out. Not more than two blocks
shall be placed in each flask. Sterile
water
should be added aseptically in the neck of the
flask to maintain the ideal condition for test.
3.7 Incubation

and Duration

The procedure

is the same as given in 2.9.

of Test

3.8 Calculation

of Weight Loss

The procedure

is the same as given in 2.10.

3.9 Threshold
The procedure

Retention

is the same as given in 2.11.

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BIS for conformity to that standard as a further safeguard.
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producers may be obtained from the Bureau of Indian Standards.
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