Biological resistance of sandwich particleboard made with sugarcane, thermally-treated Pinus wood and malva fiber

Abstract

Particleboards produced with other lignocellulosic materials, beyond wood, are promising products for the furniture and building construction components, as doors, lining, floor, partitions, and coverings. However, there is little information about the resistance of them to xylophagous organisms. This is important due the different uses of particleboards, where they will be subject to attacks by decaying organisms, which can affect a structure and put people at risk. The present study aims to determine the biological resistance of particleboard produced with pine, sugarcane bagasse and malva particles to xylophagous organisms. The particleboard was produced with different proportions of pine wood heat treated at 200 °C and malva fiber (outer layers) and sugarcane bagasse core glued with an adhesive based on polyurethane from castor oil. No-choice and choice feeding tests with dry wood (Cryptotermes brevis) and conehead (Nasutitermes corniger) termites were carried out for the resistance test to xylophagous organisms, in addition to a test with rotting fungi which cause brown (Gloeophyllum trabeum and Rhodonia placenta) and white rot (Irpex lacteus and Trametes versicolor). The trial with dry wood termites showed low mass losses, regardless of the proportions applied. The mass losses were accentuated for the test with conehead termite, having the particleboard composed of 100% pine been the most resistant among the boards tested. The greatest mass losses for fungal resistance were caused by Gloeophyllum trabeum. The particleboard produced with 100% pine (outer layer) showed the highest resistance to the tested xylophagous organisms.

Keywords:

• Lignocellulosic materials
• reconstituted panels
• heat treatment
• fungi and ternites assays

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), funding code 001, the Espírito Santo Research and Innovation Foundation (FAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

The article was written through the contributions of all authors and all of them have approved the final version of the article. M.R.S., P.G.A.S., and F.R.L. developed the particleboards and analyzed the preliminary results. F.D.M., J.R.M., Y.M.L, and J.B.P. proposed experimental solutions, validated the initial objectives of the project, and wrote the original draft. J.B.P. and A.H.C.R. helped for reviewing, editing, and correcting both spelling and grammar errors.