Termite Resistance of Medium Density Fibreboard Produced from Renewable Biomass of Agricultural Fibre

The development of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) made from renewable biomass of pineapple (Ananas comosus) leaf fibre and their suitability as a construction material has been investigated. Two different types of board with a target density of 0.8 gr/cm(3) were manufactured. The board was prepared in three layers of about 1: 1: 1 weight ratio in unidirectional and cross-oriented board using low molecular weight (LM) PF resin type PL-3725 and high molecular weight (HM) PF resin type PL-2818 for impregnation and adhesive purposes. For comparison, boards with the same structure were prepared using high molecular weight PF resin only. The biological properties of the boards have been examined as their termite resistance against subterranean termite attack. The results indicate that there was a significant effect of impregnation with low molecular weight PF resin on the susceptibility of the MDF board specimens. The results also show that fiber orientation had no significant effect on the termite resistance of the specimens against Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. The Type PF resins were significant for termite mortalities of the tested property. The total resin content of 20% of the board type prohibits the degradation by termites. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.