Resistance of particleboards produced with ligno-cellulosic agro-industrial wastes to fungi and termites

This study aimed to evaluate the resistance of medium density particleboard (MDP) made with ligno-cellulosic agro-industrial wastes to Brunneoporus malicola (≈Gleophyllum trabeum) and Trametes versicolor fungi and Cryptotermes brevis and Nasutitermes corniger termites. The panels were produced by compression, with different proportions of eucalypt sawdust, macadamia nut carpel, papaya stalk and coffee husks (10%, 20% and 30% each one and the control - 100% eucalypt sawdust) and bonded with urea-formaldehyde (UF) and tannin-urea-formaldehyde (TUF). The fungi and termite tests were performed in conformity the specific standards of wood and wood-based materials biological resistance. The resistance of each treatment was evaluated in terms of the composite mass loss and mortality for termite. All treatments submitted to the attack of Brunneoporus malicola and Tramites versicolor fungi were classified as moderately resistant or no resistant, no statistical difference. Highlight for 30% macadamia nut carpel with less mass loss, 42.28% and 43.58% in the UF and TUF panels, respectively. There were no statistical differences for mass loss and mortality between treatments and adhesives to dry-wood termites; treatment with 10% and 30% macadamia nut carpel showed greater mass loss (0.681 g) and mortality (56.50%), respectively. In general, all treatments showed low resistance to fungi and for dry-wood termite attack good resistance, indicating these case biological properties of the panels. The panels produced did not allow resistance to attack of Nasutitermes corniger termite.