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(1) Hornbeam wood is known for its high density, hardness, toughness, and wear resistance, but due to its low durability (Class 5 according to EN 350), limited wood quality, and rather small sawmill yield, it is mainly utilized as firewood today. The potential for hornbeam to be used as solid, high-quality wood material exists if its durability and dimensional stability can be increased. Hornbeam boards were acetylated under industrial conditions and tests were carried out to evaluate the treatability of this wood species by acetylation. In this study, the examination of physical, mechanical, and durability properties of acetylated hornbeam wood are described and compared to untreated hornbeam and to acetylated beech, which has a similar anatomical structure to hornbeam. Acetylated hornbeam was also compared to acetylated radiata pine, which is the main product of Accsys Technologies. These comparisons include the determination of the equilibrium moisture content, density, dimensional stability, accelerated checking, color change, water uptake, decay resistance, compression strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), impact bending strength, Janka hardness, Brinell hardness, and impact bending strength. The aim of this project is the creation of a new product thereby widening the usage of this species.

-In this study, the effect of acetylation and coating with boiled linseed oil was evaluated concerning the photodegradation of common hornbeam wood (Carpinus betulus L.). To measure colour stability, a 10-month-long outdoor weather resistance test without soil contact was performed as well as artificial aging using a 200 hour mercury-vapour lamp irradiation test. The measurements were done on hornbeam, acetylated hornbeam, boiled linseed oil-treated hornbeam, and acetylated and boiled linseed oil-treated hornbeam samples. The control and treated samples' colour change was determined by comparing them to the original colour in all cases. The photodegradation process was examined with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. Acetylated hornbeam was less prone to crack, but the modification did not hinder the fading and greying caused by UV irradiation. Coating the samples with boiled linseed oil decreased the rate of colour change and cracking. The photodegradation of lignin was confirmed by the FTIR spectra.

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This test aimed to discover if industrially acetylated hornbeam can tolerate real-field conditions in Hungary, where various microorganisms can attack the wood separately or cooperatively. Untreated samples accompanied the modified wood to assess the degradation capacity of the soil. The test also focused on weather parameters, the Scheffer index, and soil properties. The untreated stakes showed insect damage, soft rot decay, white rot decay, wasp stripping, moss, and cracks. All of the beech and hornbeam stakes broke after 3.5 years, and the last Scots pine sapwood stakes broke after 6 years. To date, acetylated hornbeam exhibits stronger resistance than untreated hornbeam, beech, and Scots pine sapwood. The acetylated hornbeam stakes showed no decay after 6 years of exposure, and they became dry shortly after being taken from the soil. Acetylated hornbeam stake number 7 had superficial brown rot decay after 18 months, which gradually worsened over the years. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that this stake had lower acetyl content. It was associated with hornbeam wood; it had a wet pocket or a part that was not as permeable and achieved a lower grade of acetylation.