Resistance of treated rubber wood (<i>Hevea brasiliensis</i>) to termite attack

Abstract

Spent rubber trees from a 25 year old plantation were cut, sawn and treated with Copper Chromium Arsenate (CCA) and Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). Two sets of wood samples were treated with CCA and CNSL respectively while the third set was not treated to serve as control. The three sets were exposed to termite attack and examined after 12 weeks, 24 weeks and 36 weeks. CCA absorption of 13.48% was higher than that of CNSL which averaged 10.35%. Loss of weight from termite attack was lower on CCA treated samples (10.45%, 45.16% and 86.23% after 12, 24 and 36 weeks respectively) than that of CNSL treated wood (13.45%, 71.42% and 92.41% after 12, 24 and 36 weeks respectively). The better performance of CCA over CNSL, with respect to resistance to termite degrade, follows the same trend as preservative absorption in the test samples.

Keywords: Rubberwood, Copper Chromium Arsenate, Cashew Nut Shell Liquid, Termites

Bowen Journal of Agriculture Vol. 5 (1&2) 2008: pp. 87-90