Quality improvement of rubber wood through thermal and chemical modification using glycerol and eco-enzyme

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Abstract

Rubber wood is abundantly available in Indonesia. However, rubber wood has low quality, especially due to durability. The purpose of this study was to improve the properties of rubber wood through chemical and thermal modification using non-biocide materials, namely glycerol and eco-enzyme. The following properties were studied: physical properties (retention, Weight Percent Gain (WPG), moisture content, density, and dimensional stability), mechanical properties (Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) and Modulus of Rupture (MOR)), termite resistance, surface characteristics (surface roughness, surface free energy, contact angle and paint adhesion), and colour change. The results showed that chemical and thermal treatment using glycerol and eco-enzyme improved the dimensional stability of rubber wood, as indicated by a decrease in volumetric swelling, followed by an increase in ASE (approximately 30%) by untreated wood. Eco-enzyme could increase the mechanical properties and termite resistance of rubber wood. In addition, chemically and thermally modified rubber wood using glycerol and eco-enzyme showed a decrease in surface roughness, a decrease in free surface energy and an increase in contact angle that led to a decrease in wettability. Chemical and thermal modification using glycerol and eco-enzyme could be an environmentally friendly method for the high-quality rubber wood products utilization.

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