Abstract
Phenolic resin or phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin containing different percentage of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles was prepared and used to treat rubberwood. Three types of treatment solutions were prepared, namely (1) low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde resin (LMwPF), (2) 1.5 wt % nano ZnO dissolved in water (ZnO/H2O), and (3) combination of both LMwPF and 1.5 wt % nano ZnO (LMwPF/ZnO). The rubberwood samples were submerged into the treatment solutions for 60, 90, and 120 min, before vacuum impregnation. The untreated rubberwood samples served as the controlled samples. The thermal stability behaviour and resistance against white-rot fungi (Pycnoporus sanguineus) of the treated rubberwood samples were evaluated. The results reveal that the treated rubberwood had slightly better thermal stability compared to the untreated samples. In terms of decay resistance, the rubberwood treated with LMwPF and LMwPF/ZnO possess very high resistance against white-rot fungi. On the other hand, the rubberwood treated with ZnO/H2O did not attain similar effectiveness as the other two treatments, except for the samples that were submerged in ZnO/H2O for 120 min. The results indicate that 1.5 wt % nano ZnO could be sufficient in imparting superior durability to rubberwood provided that longer submersion time is adopted.
Highlights
Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) is a very important plantation crop in Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia
The band at 3461 cm−1 for low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde resin (LMwPF)/zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite sample shows a decrease in intensity compared to that of the pure LMwPF resin, suggesting that the -OH functional groups of phenolic resin were occupied by the ZnO nanoparticles
The highest weight percent gain (WPG) was recorded from the rubberwood treated with LMwPF/ZnO as the nanoparticles could facilitate the polymerisation and fixation of LMwPF resin immediately after impregnation
Summary
Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) is a very important plantation crop in Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia. It is a non-durable wood which is very prone to the attack by fungi and insects that starts almost immediately after the tree is felled. Application of conventional wood preservative such as chromated copper arsenate (CCA) and boron is a common practice in treating rubberwood (Yang et al 2006). Both preservatives impose adverse effects to the environment and has fixation problem in wood.
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