Studies on Termite Resistance, Dimensional and Thermal Properties of Chemically Treated Bamboo (<I>Bambusa Tulda</I>)

Abstract

The effect of chemical treatment of common bamboo (Bambusa tulda) for inducing termite and fungal resistance and dimensional stability were evaluated. Treatment with boric acid(BA), copper acetate (CA), sodium salt of diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), maleic anhydride (MA), dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) polymer and kerosene substantially resist both bio and thermal degradation as well as enhance their dimensional properties. Dithiocarbamate and its copper complex was found to be a good cellulase inhibitor. Maleic anhydride and DMAEMA polymer alone enhanced the dimensional properties in terms of antishrink efficiency(ASE), bulk co-efficient(BC) and weight per cent gain (WPG) but not adequate to resist termite and fungal attack, as evidenced from burial test and scanning electron micrograph (SEM) analysis. To attain good dimensional stability and resistance to biodegradation, the sequence of chemical treatment in bamboo (Bambusa tulda) is boric acid, maleic anhydride, copper acetate, diethyldithiocarbamate and kerosene. From the thermal data of both untreated and treated samples, it was observed that the percentage of weight loss decreases in the treated samples compared to untreated ones. The active decomposition temperature of the treated samples was higher than the untreated sample.