Abstract
This study aims to compare the resistance against subterranean termites of wood–polymer composites produced by in situ polymerization. The biological tests were carried out by choice and no-choice feeding tests. Poly (furfuryl alcohol), poly(styrene) and poly (methyl methacrylate) were studied here. They were impregnated into a Brazilian fast-growing pine wood using a vacuum:pressure method and then cured under simple heating. These treatments were evaluated using chemical (by infrared spectroscopy) and morphological (by scanning electron microscopy) analyses. The termite attack was evaluated by mass loss determination and photography. In general, all the treatments were effective in protecting the fast-growing pine wood. Results obtained by no-choice tests indicated that the treatment solution with 75% of furfuryl alcohol was less effective than the others, which indicates that both choice and no-choice tests may be important in a comprehensive study on the termites resistance of solid woods.
Highlights
Brazil and other tropical countries have a high availability of several native kinds of wood with high technological performance
This study aims to use choice and no-choice feeding tests to compare the biological resistances of Brazilian fast-growing pine wood (PW) treated by in situ polymerization with PF, PS or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)
The comparison between the PF-based wood–polymer composites (WPC) revealed that the PW treated with 75 wt. % of Furfuryl Alcohol–C5 H6 O2 (FA) presented the highest peak at 1725 cm−1, which is strongly related to carbonyl bonds, which have a higher presence the more efficient the catalyst action is [37]
Summary
Brazil and other tropical countries have a high availability of several native kinds of wood with high technological performance. Since the 1960s, tax incentives have been implemented in some of these countries, and exotic fast-growing species were promptly planted, to create new alternative raw materials to meet certain demands for wood products [1,2]. These woods became economically attractive for some other applications, and progressively dominated several markets, timbers from these species frequently have inadequate properties for many traditional applications, especially for structural purposes [2]. These PW present some good features, including low cost, good strength/weight ratio and easy processing [5]
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