This study investigates the characteristics of leaching into a solvent of an active used as termiticide, Bifenthrin 1 (a synthetic pyrethroid) entrapped in polymer, and the effect of layered silicates on this diffusion. Two contrasting solvents, water and acetone, were used to understand this phenomenon; the active is soluble in acetone but has very low solubility in water. The data are used to understand the migration characteristics of Bifenthrin when encapsulated in polyurethane to form a termite barrier. The absorption characteristics of Bifenthrin in polyethylene were also studied for comparison. Bifenthrinpolyurethane blends containing 0, 0.5, and 5% of layered silicates were prepared and monitored for the release of Bifenthrin. Using the time-concentration dependence of the active in polymer, diffusion coefficients of Bifenthrin from the polymer were inferred assuming Fickian diffusion. The presence of silicates had no significant effect on the diffusion behavior.
An ether based polyurethane (EPU) was blended with a synthetic pyrethroid, Bifenthrin V R , to produce a material for potential use as a termite barrier for timber structures. FTIR was used to investigate the interaction between the active component and the polymer, whereas distribution of the active was probed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The aromatic end of the Bifenthrin molecule was found to interact with the hard segments of the EPU, whereas the active end of the Bifenthrin V R molecule was found to be concentrated at the surface of the blend. The efficacy of the blends was demonstrated to induce high mortality rates when the blend was directly tested against termites.
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