EFFICACY OF PYRETHROID AND BORON PRESERVATIVES IN PROTECTING PARTICLEBOARDS AGAINST FUNGUS AND TERMITE

Abstract

ZAIDON, A., NORHAIRUL NIZAM, A. M., FAIZAH, A., PARIDAH, M. T., JALALUDDIN, H., MOHD
NOR, M. Y. & NOR YUZIAH, M. Y. 2008. Efficacy of pyrethroid and boron preservatives in protecting
particleboards against fungus and termite. Pyrethroid-formulated preservatives were investigated for their
efficacy in protecting rubberwood and empty fruit bunches (EFB) particleboards against fungi and termites.
Timberlife®, Stoprot® and Cislin® solutions (5% w/w of particles) were incorporated in rubberwood (clone
RRIM 2002), EFB and rubberwood–EFB blend (70:30) particleboards by spraying the solutions separately into
the furnish during blending. Boric acid (0.5% w/w) was used for comparison. A low formaldehyde
emission melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) resin (E1 grade) was used as binder. The pressing
time of each type of board was determined by studying the gelation time of the adhesive mixture with
added preser vatives. With the exception of Timberlife®, all preser vatives markedly increased the
gelation time of the resulting adhesive mixture. The gel time for control mixture (without preservative)
was 360 s. The resistance of treated particleboards against biodeterioration agents was evaluated based
on weight loss of testing blocks after exposure to white rot fungus (Pycnoporus sanguineus) and subterranean
termite (Coptotermes curvignathus). The resistance of particleboards either against white rot fungus or
termite can be enhanced through incorporation of small amount of pyrethroid formulated preservatives
through spraying during blending of furnish. Timberlife® provided the best protection of these
particleboards against P. sanguineus. Cislin® offered the best protection for EFB particleboard against termite.
Stoprot® gave fair protection to all particleboards against white rot fungus and termite, while boric acid
still gave the best protection to rubberwood particleboard against termite.