No 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.

The objective of this work was to evaluate some of the properties of experimental wood plastic composite (WPC) panels manufactured from a low percentage of rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg), waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and silica at three different ratios. It was determined that water absorption values of the samples decreased with the increasing amount of PET in the panels. The lowest absorption value of 0.34% was determined for the samples having 40% PET in their content as a result of 24-h soaking. The highest hardness value of 4492 N was found for the samples made with the combination of rubberwood, PET and silica at 10%, 40% and 50%, respectively. The compressive strength of WPC specimens also followed a similar trend with the hardness characteristics of the panel and improved with increasing PET percentage. Statistical analyses revealed that values of compression strength, hardness, 2-h and 24-h water absorption of the specimens made with 20, 30, and 40% PET content resulted in significant difference from each other (p ≤ 0.0001). Based on the findings in this study it appears that increasing silica content in the samples adversely influenced their mechanical properties while creating a certain level of enhancement of water absorption of the specimens. It seems that using a combination of waste PET and a limited amount of silica with a low percentage of wood particles could have the potential to produce value-added environmentally friendly composites to be used for different applications.

No abstract

Indonesian log production is dominated by young trees harvested from plantation forests. The timber contains of sapwood and juvenile wood, which are not resistant to termite attack. Smoking treatment can enhance wood resistance to termite attack, but it also changes the color. Specimens of mangium (Acacia mangium) and sengon (Falcataria moluccana) wood were exposed for 1, 2, and 3 weeks to smoke produced from the pyrolysis of salam (Syzygium polyanthum) wood. The color change of the wood was measured using the CIELab method. In addition, wood specimens were exposed to subterranean termites (Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren) under laboratory conditions. Untreated and imidacloprid-preserved wood samples were also prepared for comparison purposes. The results showed that the color of smoked wood differed from that of untreated wood, and the color change for sengon was greater than for mangium. In addition, the 1-week smoking period changed the wood color less than the 2-and 3-week periods, which did not differ. Imidacloprid-preserved wood had distinctive color changes compared to untreated wood. Untreated mangium wood had moderate resistance to subterranean termite attack (resistance class III), while sengon had very poor resistance (resistance class V). Salam wood smoke enhanced wood resistance to termite attack, and smoke treatment of 1 week for mangium and 2 weeks for sengon resulted in the wood becoming very resistant (resistance class I). Both types of smoked wood were more resistant to subterranean termite attack than imidacloprid-preserved wood (average class II resistance).

The existing preservation methods are difficult to be applied to a large dimension log which is needed for making traditional wooden ship 'Jalur' in Riau Province. Novel techniques to provide the use of readily available species to replace traditional species alternative were investigated. These included infusion and a combination of injection and bandage-wrapping methods for preserving living trees of Balam (Macaranga conifera (Rchb.f. & Zoll.) Müll.Arg.) and Bintangor (Calophyllum soulattri Burm.f.). Water-based boron compounds were applied as wood preservatives. In total, 18 discs from the bottom, middle, and top of four trees and two controls were used. Trees undergoing treatment were also used to see how wood anatomical structure might affect the boron penetration. The overall aim was to identify the best method for use in Jalur manufacturing. The results showed that in infused Balam tree where the hose position for the preservative intake was deep (10-15 cm from the bark), no boron compound was observed in the outer sapwood. Combination of injection and bandage-wrapping method gave higher percentage of boron penetration at bottom and middle of Balam tree. However, infused Bintangor showed 100% boron penetration. The larger vessel diameter, the absence of tyloses, and the simple perforation plates in Bintangor wood were likely to have contributed to the higher penetration of boron. The combination of bandage-wrapping and infusion, or alternatively by infusing the living trees close to the bark, and at as low as position in the stem gives better protection when treatments are applied to living trees.

Timber from fast-growing tree species is susceptible to by biodeterioration attack, particularly subterranean termites. Impregnation with methyl methacrylate (MMA) potentially increases wood resistance to subterranean termite attack. Four wood species, namely sengon (Falcataria moluccana), jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba), mangium (Acacia mangium), and pine (Pinus merkusii), were impregnated with MMA, and samples of untreated and imidacloprid-preserved wood were prepared for comparison purposes. Small stakes, sized 0.8 cm by 2 cm in cross section by 20 cm in the longitudinal direction, were inserted into the ground for 3 months, and the weight loss of each specimen was determined at the end of the test period. A factorial 4 × 3 completely randomized design was used for data analysis; the first factor was wood species, and the second factor was treatment. The results showed that MMA polymer loadings were 27.88%, 24.91%, 14.14%, and 17.81% for sengon, jabon, mangium, and pine, respectively, and amounts of imidacloprid retention were 7.56 kg/m 3 , 5.98 kg/m 3 , 5.34 kg/m 3 , and 9.53 kg/m 3 , respectively. According to an analysis of variance, wood species, treatment, and interaction of both factors significantly affected the weight loss of wood specimens. Mangium had the smallest weight loss, followed by pine, sengon, and jabon. MMA impregnation into the wood increased the resistance of wood samples to subterranean termite attack during in-ground testing, but the resistance level was lower than that of imidacloprid-preserved wood. Except for mangium wood, the MMA treatment did not significantly affect resistance.

In this study, the chemical components and termiticidal activities of bamboo vinegar against subterranean termite were evaluated. Bamboo vinegar used in this study were produced from Mayan (Gigantochloa robusta Kurz.), Balcoa (Bambusa balcooa Roxb.), and Taiwan (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro). It was analyzed by gravimetric methods. Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) was soaked for 24 h and tested against Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren according to the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 7207-2014). The bamboo vinegar demonstrated antitermite activities against subterranean termite. Vinegar of 400℃ recorded higher total phenol and acid than that of 300℃. Results from this study suggest that the phenolic and acidic component of the bamboo vinegar contributed to 100% mortality rate of the termite, some wood weight loss, and a decrease in the termite feeding rate. These results strongly recommend that bamboo vinegar from D. latiflorus Munro is a potential environmentally friendly preservative.