Abstract
Smoke treatment can be used to enhance wood resistance to subterranean termite attack. In this study, kesambi (Schleichera oleosa) wood was pyrolyzed to produce charcoal. The smoke produced as a by-product of pyrolysis was used to treat sengon (Falcataria moluccana), jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba), mangium (Acacia mangium), and pine (Pinus merkusii) wood samples for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Following the smoke treatment, the wood specimens were exposed to subterranean termites (Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren) according to the Indonesian standard 7207-2014 in a laboratory. The color change caused by smoke treatment was observed, and chemical analysis of smoke was also done. The results showed that chemical compounds of kesambi smoke predominantly consisted of acetic acid, phenol, ketones, amines, and benzene. The color of smoked wood became darker, less yellow, and a little redder, while a longer smoking period produced a darker color which was more resistant to termite attack. Smoke treatment enhanced the resistance of wood to subterranean termite attack, and the resistance levels were not significantly different based on the duration of the smoke treatment.
Highlights
Log production for the Indonesian wood industry reached 47.9 million m 3 in 2018, with 85% of production being from plantation forests [1]
Mubarok et al [4] treated beech wood with different derivatives of glycerol or polyglycerol and maleic anhydride followed by thermal modification, which resulted in wood that was more resistant to subterranean termite during 1-year exposure in a tropical field experiment
Phenolic compounds and acetic acid were previously shown to be effective as wood preservatives against termite attack, and it was reported that smoke could protect wood against attack by fungi, termites, and bacteria [26]
Summary
Log production for the Indonesian wood industry reached 47.9 million m 3 in 2018, with 85% of production being from plantation forests [1]. Forest stands in the country are mostly composed of fast-growing species, which are cut at a young age, generally 6–10 years old. This timber predominantly consists of sapwood and contains juvenile wood, and both types of wood are inferior to mature wood in terms of physical–mechanical properties and resistance to bio-deterioration [2]. Nandika [3] reported that subterranean termite attacks on the woody components of buildings, houses, To reduce or prevent such risks, nontoxic chemicals could be impregnated into the void space of wood or linked with wood tissue via covalent bonds to produce wood with increased resistance to bio-deterioration attacks. Other researchers have developed binder-less particleboard using hydrogen peroxide [5] and citric acid [6]
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