Effects of Hot Pressing on Resistance of Compressed Oil Palm Wood to Subterranean Termite (Coptotermes gestroi Wasmann) Attack

Abstract

Oil palm trunks are a by-product of oil palm plantations and provide raw material to the woodworking industries. However, their resistance against degradation by termites needs to be improved; this study investigated hot pressing as a chemical-free method to improve resistance. The main objective was to assess resistance to termites conferred to oil palm wood by hot pressing at various temperatures (140, 180, and 220 °C) for a fixed duration of 8 min and maximum pressure of 2 MPa. The samples were the only available nutrition to subterranean termites (Coptotermes gestroi Wasmann) in a 4-week no-choice test. The thermally compressed oil palm wood did not show any significant effect of the pressing temperature on mass loss, but the surface damage to the samples with treatment at 220 °C indicated improved resistance to subterranean termites based on visual observation.

Keywords

• Oil palm wood
• Subterranean termite
• No-choice test
• Compressed wood