International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 152 (2020) 104998

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International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

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Resistance of wood plastic composite produced by compression to termites T

Nasutitermes corniger (Motsch.) and Cryptotermes brevis (Walker)
Yonny Martinez Lopeza,∗, Fabricio Gomes Gonçalvesa, Juarez Benigno Paesa, Donatian Gustaveb,
Anna Clara Theodoro Nanteta, Tiago Jose Salesc
a
Department of Forest and Wood Science, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Av. Governador Lindemberg, 316, 29550-000, Jerônimo Monteiro, Espírito Santo, Brazil
b
Forest and Lands Resources Division, Department of Forest and Land Resources Development, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Cooperatives, Gabriel Charles Forestry
Complex, Union Castries, Saint Lucia
c
Wood Anatomy and Quality Laboratory, Department of Forest Products, Forest Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The resistance of wood plastic composite was evaluated for the xylophagous termites Nasutitermes corniger and
Biodeterioration Cryptotermes brevis. The panels were produced by compression, with proportions of wood (Pinus elliottii) and
Reconstituted panels recycled thermoplastics of: T1 (50/50 Polyethylene terephthalate), T2 (50/50 High-density polyethylene), T3
Xylophagous agents (50/50 Polypropylene), T4 (50/50 Polyvinyl chloride), T5 (60/40 Polyethylene terephthalate), T6 (60/40 High-
density polyethylene), T7 (60/40 Polypropylene), T8 (60/40 Polyvinyl chloride) and bonded with urea-for-
maldehyde. The N. corniger and C. brevis termite tests were performed adhering to the specific standards of wood
biological resitance. the resistance of each treatment was evaluated in terms of the composite mass loss and
termite mortality. There were no statistical differences between treatments 1 to 5 for the no-choice test with
subterranean termites; treatment 3 showed the highest rate (9.2), with lower wear, as well as the higher mor-
tality rate (88.6%) of the termites; this can be classified as high resistance. In relation to the other treatments, the
dry wood termite test detected statistical differences for treatment 3 and offered the best results in terms of lower
wear (0.47%), lower mass loss (0.63%) and 100% of mortality for 12 days. All treatments showed resistance to
attack by termites indicating enhanced biological properties of the composite.

1. Introduction conditions (Horta et al., 2017).

Technological advances and the competitiveness of the market
make it necessary to seek improvements in the quality of industrialized
products for civil construction. Within the context of modernization and
emphasis on the quality of materials, technology has created new
products derived from different types of wood or a combination of
wood with other materials, in search of environmental benefits and
better product performance (Hao et al., 2018).
In this regard, wood plastic composite (WPC) corresponds to one of
these technologies that is a modern and ecologically viable product
(Aguilar et al., 2018). This product is composed of two or more raw
materials, originating from the wood mix, recyclable materials such as
thermoplastic waste and chemical additives, all of which confer desir-
able characteristics (Lopez et al., 2018). This process results in com-
posites with better quality and properties that mimic wood; moreover,
with this quality, these panels can substitute the use of wood in natural
Wood in natural conditions can suffer structural damage and be
attacked by insects and others xylophagous agents that limit their useful
life in building applications. However, the development of materials
more resistant to the attack of these biological agents allows one to
satisfy the need for materials with better quality and durability for the
construction. Among the biological agents that affect wood are termites
and fungi. (Terzi et al., 2018).
These insects feed on cellulose found abundantly in the wood. They
are responsible for the attack and destruction of the anatomical struc-
ture of low resistance woods, especially those of low density The pro-
blems with termites that attack dry wood have been accentuated in
recent years in the civil construction and furniture industries, due to the
early cutting of the trees, drying difficulties in sawmill yards, defi-
ciencies in wood treatment and, especially, owing to the lack of rig-
orous inspection on sawmills in the furniture industry (Cosme et al.,
2017).

∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: yohnkar@gmail.com (Y.M. Lopez), fabricio.goncalves@ufes.br (F.G. Gonçalves), jbp2@uol.com.br (J.B. Paes),
donatian025@gmail.com (D. Gustave), annaclaranantet15@hotmail.com (A.C. Theodoro Nantet), tiago_bandeira@yahoo.com.br (T.J. Sales).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2020.104998
Received 2 March 2020; Received in revised form 8 April 2020; Accepted 5 May 2020
Available online 14 May 2020
0964-8305/ © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Y.M. Lopez, et al.
One of the termite species under study, the Cryptotermes brevis,
known as the dry wood termite, belongs to the Kalotermitidae family
and causes great damage to structural timber, furniture, textiles and
other materials of cellulosic origin (Köse et al., 2011). One main
characteristic of these termites is that they live in wood with a low
moisture content, approximately 12%; further, their nests are restricted
to galleries excavated in wood and they have high tolerance to dry
conditions for prolonged periods. Water, obtained directly from wood,
even in small quantities, is sufficient for this termite to survive
(Gonçalves et al., 2014).
Another termite species studied in this work is the Nasutitermes
corniger; it is also known as a subterranean termite. Studies referred to
by Paes et al. (2013) described these xylophagous agents as a termites
that attack indistinctly hard or soft, dry or wet woods, manufactured or
not, without showing preference for the vegetal species. Their nests are
dark brown on the surface, have small protrusions on the outside and
they are capable of reproducing easily.
Termite damage has been most commonly thought of in terms of
weakening wood and wood structures, making infested areas prone to
collapse. Termite board damage is especially important in the in-
creasing economically important forest industry of particleboard pro-
duction. Alternatively, plastic wood boards are shown as one of the
promising alternatives to evaluate resistance to xylophagous agents; so
finding suitable formulations would provide new products for the de-
velopment of the board industry (Turku et al., 2017).
The wood, used in different proportions in wood plastic composite,
can also be attacked by these xylophagous agents. Importantly then, the
susceptibility to attack by these agents depends on the quality of the
panel, which in turn is influenced by the treatment standards used in
the technological process. According to studies carried out by
(Kaboorani, 2017), the quality of these compounds can be determined
by the specific humidity conditions, the water absorption capacity of
each type of board. It is also important to consider the type of particles
and the technological conditions applied for each type of board, ob-
tained either by extrusion, compression or injection.
In this context, the objective of the research is to evaluate the bio-
logical resistance of plastic wood compounds obtained by compression
molding on a laboratory scale. The boards were subjected to the effects
of the underground termite (Nasutitermes corniger) and the dry wood
termite (Cryptotermes brevis). The study aims to provide knowledge on
the use of different raw materials in plastic wooden boards, manu-
factured from various formulations to improve biological properties.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Treatments and raw materials used
Pinus elliottii wood (sawdust) was used in the production of the
composite. This wood was obtained as a product of the processes of
primary transformation of the wood, as well as residues generated in
the preparation of specimens for various experimental tests of the
Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Jerônimo Monteiro,
Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Sawdust was dried in an oven under tem-
perature conditions of 120 °C until the moisture content decreased to
5%. The procedure was carried out during periods of 8 h, in which the
material was removed and the moisture content was evaluated, the
particles used had dimensions between 5 and 7 mm.
The recycled thermoplastics-high-density polyethylene (HDPE),
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), were obtained from a
deposit of recyclable materials located in the same institution and by
selective collection of post-consumer plastic, in places assigned for re-
cycling of these types of materials; others were discarded from some
snack bars and supermarkets, in the form of glasses, plates and con-
tainers.
The thermoplastics were separated, washed, free of impurities and
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International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 152 (2020) 104998
crushed in a sieve hammer mill with holes of 6 mm in diameter. The
particles were again crushed and sieved to obtain particles with di-
mensions between 2.5 mm × 4.5 mm, This procedure was necessary to
reduce the particle size that allows the melting and mixing with wood
particles in the technological process. The particles were then air dried
and then stored in hermetically sealed plastic bags.
2.2. Manufacture of wood plastic composite
Conditions were provided to obtain panels with densities between
800 kg m−3 and 1000 kg m−3. The proportions of wood and thermo-
plastic were calculated according to these parameters. Whereas the
calculation of the wood mass considered a moisture content of 5%, the
particles of the plastics were considered as being free of moisture.
The adhesive Phenol-formaldehyde, Cascophen HL-2080, con-
taining 50.5% resinous solids was used. The hardener catalyst for the
adhesive was ammonium sulfate (NH4)2 SO4, in a solution of 20%, at
the ratio of 1.5% to the solids content of the amount of adhesive used.
The amount of adhesive applied was 12% resinous solids, based on the
mass of the blend employed.
The wood and plastic particles were weighed and placed inside a
rotating drum type mixer, 1.2 m in diameter and 0.5 m wide, which
rotated at a speed of 26 revolutions per minute. The adhesive was ap-
plied by means of an injector nozzle, driven by an air compressor on a
rotary drum, during an average application time of 15 min. The mixture
of wood and plastic particles were then weighed and taken to the
forming section of the mattress; these operations were performed for all
the treatments tested in the research. The composites were produced
with different proportions of feedstock and different types of thermo-
plastic.
Nine treatments were evaluated including the control board, which
were dosed in the proportions of wood (Pinus elliottii) and different
recycled thermoplastics as follows: T 1 (50/50 Polyethylene ter-
ephthalate), T 2 (50/50 High-density polyethylene), T 3 (50/50
Polypropylene), T 4 (50/50 Polyvinyl chloride), T 5 (60/40
Polyethylene terephthalate), T6 (60/40 High-density polyethylene), T 7
(60/40 Polypropylene) and T 8 (60/40 Polyvinyl chloride), the control
treatment was made from 100% pinus wood (T 9).
The mattress was formed manually by scattering the mixture of
particles carefully and randomly on a 3.5 mm thick aluminum sheet,
placed on a bottomless wooden box with internal dimensions of ap-
proximately 400 mm × 400 mm × 120 mm. The mattress was pressed
with electric heating (Solab, SL12), independent adjustment of tem-
perature (180 °C) in the dishes and pressure (70 kgf cm−2 ≈ 6,86 MPa)
control applied.
The cycle of pressing followed the following condition: temperature,
180 °C; pressure, 70 kgf cm−2 and time of 15 min. This established time
was necessary for the thermoplastic to reach the melting temperature
and to mix with the wood particles. In this cycle, the standards re-
commended by Alba Química (Brazilian interprise) considers, that is of
7–8 s mm−1 of sheet are considered to make these products at tem-
peratures ranging between 180 °C and 190 °C.
The experiment was set up following a completely randomized de-
sign, with eight treatments and five replicates for each of them, totaling
45 boards including the control. The panels were kept inside boxes at
room temperature for about 10 days, and then had their edges trimmed
to 380 mm × 380 mm × 16 mm.
2.3. No-choice test with subterranean termites and dry wood termites
2.3.1. Standard test method for laboratory evaluation of wood
The colony was collected near the municipality of Jerônimo
Monteiro, Espirito Santo State, Brazil. For the no-choice test, the species
Nasutitermes corniger (Motsch.) was used. The assay was performed
using the American Society for Testing and Materials - ASTM D-3345
standard test for evaluation of wood (2008), with some modifications
Y.M. Lopez, et al.
suggested by Paes et al. (2013) such as, collection of termites, ster-
ilization of test flasks and position of samples in the flask.
The experimental conditions were considered so that the colony was
placed on an fibro cement box of 250 L capacity, supported by four
bricks arranged on trays containing recicled vegetable oil, to avoid the
termite leakage. Inside the box was placed a layer of sand of approxi-
mately 10–15 cm; three layers of wet cardboard were then placed to
facilitate the descent and capture of termites; the colony was placed a
plastic grid of 30 cm × 40 cm, supported on the layer of sand of two
bricks.
For the dry wood termites, the procedure of the Research and
Technological Institute/Division of Timber - IPT/DIMAD D-2 (1980),
similar to the Maistrello (2018), procedure was used, in addition to the
evaluations cited for soil termites and the number of holes produced by
the insects in the samples. Composite samples measuring
23 mm × 70 mm × 16 mm (width x length x thickness) were tested for
Cryptotermes brevis. The samples were grouped in sets of two ones, at-
tached by adhesive tape and fixed with paraffin, in a polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) container with a diameter of 3.5 cm and a height of 4.0 cm. A
total of 40 termites were inserted inside each container, 39 workers and
one soldier were placed in a Petri dish and capped with a plastic screen
with small holes to prevent the termites from fleeing (Fig. 1).
In this test, to each flask (600 mL) one board sample measuring
25 mm × 25 mm x 16 mm (width x length x thickness) and
1 g ± 0.05 g of termites, corresponding to ± 360 individuals, in the
proportion of ± 90% of workers (natural proportion in the colony)
were added. The samples were exposed to the action of the termites in
an air conditioned room (25 °C ± 2 °C and 65% ± 5% relative hu-
midity) during 28 days, the natural durability of the composites was
evaluated as a function of the mass loss (%), wear of samples and ter-
mites mortality (%).
The samples were observed under Scanning Electron Microscopy
(SEM) (Hitachi, Tm3000) to obtain images showing the morphology of
the Pinus wood particles and the internal ligation within the thermo-
plastic matrix; these observations also make it possible to detect entry
of the termites. The assay was maintained in an air-conditioned room
(27 °C ± 2 °C and 65% ± 5% relative humidity) for 45 days.
At the end of the test, the surviving termites ware removed and
counted for mortality rate assessment, with subsequent evaluation of
wear by grades varying from zero to four, where 0 (no wear), 1 (wear),
2 (moderate wear), 3 (severe wear) and 4 (deep wear), following the
aforementioned standard. The mass loss was corrected by means of loss
of operational mass.
Fig. 1. Procedure for collecting subterranean termites (A); under no-choice test (B); and position of PVC on the composite with dry wood termite inside attacking the
composite (C).
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International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 152 (2020) 104998
2.4. Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Program for
Social Sciences (SPSS) edition 21. The analysis of the data was done
through an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Differences between treat-
ments were investigated using the Scott-Knott test; (p < 0.05). The
correlation between the density of the boards and the physical variables
of the boards after the termite attack was evaluated from Pearson's
correlation analysis. Priori comparisons, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
(p < 0.05) for normality and the Cochran test (p < 0.05) for
homogeneity of variances were also performed. The results from these
tests indicated that there was no need for data transformation.
3. Results
3.1. No-choice test with subterranean termites (Nasutitermes corniger)
The evaluation revealed a high resistance of all the treatments to
termites, emphazing treatments 1, 2, 3, and 4. More importantly,
treatment 3 (50% of wood and 50% of PP) showed the lower results of
loss of mass, higher density and lower survival of termites in the
shortest time of exposure to the test. Fig. 2 (A-B) shows the main results
obtained in terms of the parameters evaluated in the different treat-
ments. In a comparison of the behavior of the wood plastic composite
compared with the control board, there was a significant difference in
terms of the parameters evaluated, specifically in the strength of these
types of composite.
The wood plastic composite offered good resistance to the termites
evaluated. In this regard, one can verify that the treatments from 1 to 4
showed the lowest values of loss of mass (0.02–0.27%), the lowest
values of survival of the termites (11.4–15.8%) and detection of the
effects of termites between 12 and 18 days. The mortalities of the ter-
mites found in each treatment can be related to the presence of che-
mical components in the wood that act as repellents to the attack of
termites. These parameters show a high biological resistance for these
treatments, which were better represented by treatment 3 (50% of
wood and 50% of PP).
Table 1 shows the main results obtained from the evaluation of the
damage caused by subterranean termites for each treatment. This
analysis shows that treatment 3 (50% of wood and 50% of PP), despite
not having statistical differences (Scott-Knott test; p < 0.05) in rela-
tion to treatments 1 (50/50 Polyethylene terephthalate), T 2 (50/50
High-density polyethylene), T 4 (50/50 Polyvinyl chloride) and T 5
(60/40 Polyethylene terephthalate), showed the highest rate (9.2), in-
dicating less wear, as well as the highest mortality percentage of ter-
mites; hence, this behavior indicates a high resistance to this type of
Y.M. Lopez, et al. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 152 (2020) 104998

Fig. 2. Parameters evaluated in the subterranean termite test. A: Mass loss (%), B: Survival.

Table 1 termite.
Average values of wear, mortality of subterranean termite and classification of The evaluated resistance parameters, as well as the notes designated
studied composites. for each treatment, allow treatment 3 (50/50 %PP) to be classified as a
Treatments Wear (Rate) Classification* Mortality (%) Classification* highly resistant panel to the tested xylophagous agents. These proper-
ties allow us to offer a higher quality wood plastic composite with
1 5.6 (0.89) a Moderate to Heavy 84.6 Heavy potential to be developed by the board industry. The statistical differ-
2 8.0 (1.00) a Light to Moderate 86.2 Heavy
ences represented (Scott-Knott test; p < 0.05) show two groups:
3 9.2 (1.09) a Light 88,6 Heavy
4 6.0 (0.71) a Moderate to Heavy 84.2 Heavy among the first group are the treatments from 1 to 5 and the second
5 5.0 (1.58) b Moderate to Heavy 66.2 Moderate group the treatments from 5 to 8.
6 5.4 (1.14) b Moderate to Heavy 62.0 Moderate In the isolated case is the designated treatment as a control that did
7 4.6 (1.52) b Moderate to Heavy 65.6 Moderate not offer resistance to the effect of termites in each of the tests carried
8 5.0 (1.09) b Moderate to Heavy 65.2 Moderate
9 (Control) 1.8 (0.84) c Heavy to Failure 36.6 Moderate
out. This parameter is also confirmed from the Pearson correlation test
which explains the density and wear ratio in 69% of the sample; in
Numbers in parentheses are standard deviations. Average with the same letters summary consequently, one can infer that the higher the density, the
do not differ Scott-Knott test; (p > 0.05). * Classification as ASTM D - 3345 lower the wear of the boards.
(2008).

Table 2
Average values of wear, mass loss, mortality of dry wood termites and classification of studied composites.
Treatments Wear (Rate) Mass Loss (%) Mortality (%) Days to Dead Classification*

1 1.00 1.61 a 70.2 b 27 Surface Wear

2 1.50 2.29 a 74.4 b 29 Surface to Moderate Wear
3 0.47 0.63 b 100.0 a 18 None to Moderate Wear
4 0.93 1.94 a 72.2 b 28 None to Moderate Wear
5 1.07 1.99 a 71.3 b 27 Surface Wear
6 1.45 1.81 a 74.1 b 30 Surface to Moderate Wear
7 1.47 2.41 a 72.1 b 28 Surface to Moderate Wear
8 1.13 2.17 a 76.4 b 29 Surface Wear
9 (Control) 3.50 15.43 c 41.2 c 44 Advanced to Deep Wear

Average with same letters in the column do not differ Scott-Knott test; (p < 0.05). * Classification as IPT/DIMAD D −2 (1980).

4
Y.M. Lopez, et al.
Fig. 3. Composite samples (treatment 1 to 8) attacked by dry wood termites.
3.2. Dry wood termites test (Cryptotermes brevis)
Table 2 shows the values obtained in relation to the strength of
boards on dry wood termites. It can be inferred that all treatments have
an acceptable resistance to this termite, since after the test the samples
were almost intact. Although treatments 3 and 4 have the best average
grades in relation to wear, the best result was obtained by treatment 3
with a grade of 0.47 classified without wear.
This same treatment showed the best results for mass loss, with the
lowest value of 0.63%; this result shows a statistical difference between
the other treatments according to the Scott-Knott test; p < 0.05.
Mortality results were analyzed for 30 days of exposure to insects; in
that period almost all termites had not survived, mortality was detected
between 70% and 76%, except for treatment 3 (50/50 PP) where
mortality was 100% and treatment 9 (wood 100%) of 41%, where
termites survived up to 44 days.
Fig. 3 shows the effect caused by dry wood termites in treatment 4,
chosen at random. One can observe some perforations in treatments 4,
5, 7 and 8, which offered better feeding conditions for termites. The
evaluations of the type of wear caused show the best results for treat-
ment 3, which despite having a minimum incidence of attack by ter-
mites, showed the best evaluation (rate).
4. Discussion
4.1. Subterranean termites (Nasutitermes corniger) test
According to Chaudemanche et al. (2018), the behavior of wood
plastic composite can be related to the influence of the interface created
between thermoplastics and wood particles. Since these, when melted
during the high temperature of technological processing, encapsulate
the wood particles, and thus offer greater protection and resistance of
the board to the attack of xylophagous agents and factors associated
with dimensional deformation of the boards due to the penetration of
water inside them (Keskisaari and Kärki, 2018).
Even though the technological process of wood plastic composite
favors the encapsulation of wood particles by the thermoplastic matrix,
fault locations can occur, which provide the conduit for the entrance of
termites into the interior of the composite Hosseinihashemi and
Badritala (2017). Another factor that can negatively influence the for-
mation of the fault zones is the poor casting during the production
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International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 152 (2020) 104998
process; this process exposes the wood particles (Liang, 2017).
The density can influence the quality and strength of the compo-
sites. This physical property has a significant relationship with the mass
loss (Moreno and Saron, 2017). In the investigation, the Pearson cor-
relation test explains 82% of this relationship. Additionally, based on
the negative value (−0.819 **), one can infer that as the density in-
creases the mass loss tends to decrease. Further, the relationship be-
tween the density of the composite and the days until the death of the
termites is explained in 67% of the variability of the data; likewise an
inversely proportional relationship is explained, given the correlation
value obtained (−0.669 **) and survival in 79%, with a correlation
value of (−0.788 **).
These properties highlight the strength of the composites; first, the
density obtained in this investigation was varied between 867.6 and
1065.6 kgm−3, being the highest value for treatment 3
(1065.6 kgm−3). These conditions allow a better compaction of its
components and favorable compression ratio, with low values of loss of
mass, for example 0.02%. In addition, the termites were not able to
survive for long (12 days), so the damage was almost imperceptible in
the treatment 3 (50/50 PP).
The mortalities of the termites found can be related to the presence
of chemical components in the wood. Some of these components are
formed by terpenoids, quinones and technoquinones which are part of
the extractable substances of wood (Oliveira et al., 2017). Even though
pine wood does not have a marked resistance to the attack of xylo-
phagous agents, this resistance can be improved by the encapsulation of
the wood particles by the thermoplastic matrix; these conditions limit
the feeding of termites as it is difficult for their digestive system to
absorb the food substances for their survival (WPC) (Melo et al., 2015).
Studies carried out by Gonçalves et al. (2014) evaluated the re-
sistance of Acacia mangium wood boards to Nasutitermes sp. termites.
This study indicated that the boards showed a low resistance; values of
mass loss of up to 49% were found during the established trial time (45
days); the treatments evaluated were almost totally consumed. These
results are different from those obtained in the plastic wooden boards
obtained in this study, which allows us to infer that despite the species
of Pinus having low natural resistance, it can be recommended as a raw
material for the manufacture of wood plastic composite.
The resistance of the boards can also be related to the type of pro-
cessing (compression), since with the combining factors such as tem-
perature and pressure, areas of failure or poor internal bonding,
Y.M. Lopez, et al.
Fig. 4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the composite indicating fault location with the possibility of termite attack.
between the particles that allow the termites to enter the board can
occur. Fig. 4 shows some of these factors through Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM) images.
The SEM images show that the Pinus particles showed no significant
morphological modifications during the board production process. At
higher magnification, the internal ligation between the wood particles
with the thermoplastic matrix can be observed, which demonstrates the
compatibility between the raw materials due to the fusion and the
consequent interaction of the polymer matrix subjected to high tem-
peratures during the manufacture of the board.
In addition, the fault locations produced during the technological
process can be observed. These defects can be the conduit for termites
to penetrate the board and try to feed, which causes weight loss and
contributes to its structural deformation.
4.2. Dry wood termites (Cryptotermes brevis) test
Studies carried out by Batista et al. (2016) obtain lower values
(0.58–1.05) in the loss of mass of Eucalyptus, by thermomodified wood,
due to the attack of the dry wood termite (Cryptotermes sp.). This study
could be a starting point for: new research on the use of thermo-
modified wood to reduce termite attacks on wood plastic composite and
to obtain forest products of a higher quality, specifically with enhanced
biological properties.
The extent of damage caused by termites is associated with the
amount of cellulosic elements readily available to them. This habit is
given by the adaptations of the hindgut that can accommodate a
complex community of flagellated protozoa and bacteria that are es-
sential to digest cellulose (Ortega et al., 2018). In our investigation,
access to these substances was limited in the plastic wood composites,
due to the encapsulation of the wood particles by the thermoplastic
matrix.
In the manufacture of boards many types of lignocelulosic materials
and wood of different species can be used; however their properties,
which can be transferred to the boards, must be considered (Bhoru and
Tripathi, 2016). For example, studies conducted by Köse et al. (2011)
where pine cones were used for the manufacture of MDF boards in-
dicated that the boards did not present an acceptable level of resistance
to the attack of termites. These boards also presented a loss of mass
greater than 30%, a value lower than those obtained in our study,
where the plastic wood composites offer greater biological resistance.
Other studies reported by Tascioglu et al. (2013) evaluated several
types of conventional boards treating the wood with alkaline copper
and copper azole before the biological attack of termites. In this case,
the damage of the termites was intense and their effects were detected
quickly during the test. The recorded mass loss varied between 5 and
10%. The wood plastic composite (WPC) obtained in this study showed
inferior results of mass loss which provides better quality and biological
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International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 152 (2020) 104998
properties, which would further allow them to be used for various
purposes in civil construction.
There are also other studies using zinc borate and other chemical
products as a treatment to wood, to improve some biological properties
of WPC. In this regard, other factors such as dosages, particle size and
the type of processing of the boards can also influence their final
properties. Studies conducted by Indrayani et al. (2014) indicated a
high of loss of mass by the attack of termites, for a dose of wood of 70%,
similarly to the treatments in which zinc borate were used.
On the other hand, Indrayani et al. (2015) obtained results of mass
loss between 1.5% and 1.7% in Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
manufactured from renewable pineapple leaf biomass (Ananas co-
mosus), together with the use of two types of resin, low molecular
weight PF resin (LM) type PL-3725 and high molecular weight PF resin
(HM) type PL-2818. Even though the results obtained in this wood
plastic composite were superior, one can argue that the use of pineapple
leaves in the manufacture of this type of board would not offer desirable
results in the structure of the board, due to the lignocellulosic compo-
sition of this raw material, as well as the low resistance to high tem-
peratures, to which these boards are subjected during their formation.
Based on the results of this investigation one can assert that the use
of recycled polypropylene (PP) provides relevant results in terms of
biological resistance of the board. Specifically this study reinforces re-
search indicating that the use lignocellulosic materials and wood as a
filler material or reinforcement of WPC, recycled plastics play an im-
portant role in the properties of these boards, the type of thermoplastic
can influence the biological resistance and weathering (Martinez et al.,
2020). These results can also be corroborated by Ratanawilai and
Taneerat (2018), who also obtained satisfactory results using Poly-
propylene (PP) and Polystyrene (PS) in the manufacture of wood plastic
composite.
One of the main objectives of this research was to offer knowledge
and provide relevant information to obtain better quality products, with
properties that meet the expectations of its consumers that also con-
tributes to improving the balance of raw material doses that allows for
better technological flow and improved properties. In this regard, the
results of this investigation will also contribute to the knowledge about
the biological resistance of the plastic wood boards obtained by com-
pression.
5. Conclusions
This study showed that from the combinations of raw material used
in the elaboration of wood plastic composite it is possible to obtain
composites with high resistance to biodeterioration caused by termites,
offering a better response to treatment 3 (50/50 Polypropylene). The
results obtained allow the scientific community to offer quality mate-
rials for use in construction, with production potential on a larger scale
Y.M. Lopez, et al.
by the panel industries.
Acknowledgements
We appreciate the collaboration of all the authors of the article that
allowed to obtain the presented results. To the Federal University of
Espírito Santo – Brazil for the scientific contribution and technological
development for the biological evaluations of the boards. We would like
to thank the Foundation of Support to Research and Innovation of
Espírito Santo (FAPES) – Brazil, for the financial support to develop this
project.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2020.104998.
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