Abstract
In general fast-growing tree species harvested at a young age has substantial amount of sapwood. It also contains juvenile wood, which has undesirable inferior physical and mechanical properties. Having sapwood and juvenile wood in the trees makes them very susceptible to be attacked by biological deterioration specifically termites in a tropical environment. The main objective of this study was to investigate the termite resistance of four fast-growing Indonesian wood species treated with furfuryl alcohol and imidacloprid. Wood specimens from sengon (Falcataria moluccana), jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba), mangium (Acacia mangium), and pine (Pinus merkusii) were impregnated with furfuryl alcohol, using tartaric acid and heat as well as treated with imidacloprid for the polymerization process. All of the specimens were exposed to environmental conditions in the field for three months. Based on the findings in this work, the untreated control samples had higher weight loss values and lower protection levels than those of imidacloprid-treated and furfurylated samples of all four species. It appears that furfurylation and imidacloprid treatment of such fast-growing species had a significant impact regarding their resistance against termite so that their service life can be extended during their utilization.
Highlights
Having elevated temperature and humidity in Indonesia as a tropical country is an ideal condition for termite attack on wood and wood products throughout the year
The results showed that furfurylated wood specimens with a weight percentage gain (WPG) of more than 40% were highly resistant to attack by both dry wood and subterranean termites
The objective of this study was to determine the termite resistance of furfurylated and imidacloprid treated fast-growing tropical wood species, namely sengon, jabon, mangium, and pine, using small specimens exposed through in-ground testing
Summary
Having elevated temperature and humidity in Indonesia as a tropical country is an ideal condition for termite attack on wood and wood products throughout the year. The annual economic loss caused by termites on wood-based material in buildings was approximately reached USD 1 billion [1]. This economic loss could increase in the future because the timber supply in the country has recently shifted from natural growth to plantation forests, which have a short period of harvesting plans. Non-poisonous compounds that chemically modify the wood are being used to replace traditional preservatives to extend the service life of wood products. In previous work, evaluated the termite resistance of European beech modified by impregnating different aqueous solutions of glycerol maleate
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