Dielectrically Observed Consequences of Microbial Treatment of Wood and Bamboo

Summary Changes in dielectric constant and loss factor of two different species of wood namely Sheesham ( Dalbergia Sissoo ) and Bamboo ( Bambusa sp ) are reported in the frequency range 30 Hz–3 MHz following their microbial treatment with Coriolus versicolor . Comparison of dielectric data of C. versicolor treated and untreated wood obtained in oven dried samples and in the samples exposed to atmospheric moisture for more than 2 weeks reflect the alteration in chemical composition of the wood after C. versicolor treatment and its associated altered hydration behaviour. In all the experiments described here the principal feature of the frequency dependent dielectric response is a low frequency dispersion in ∈ ∣ and ∈ ∥ and a weak loss peak observed at a higher frequency. The low frequency dispersion is attributed to localised hopping of charge carriers between neighbouring sites and the higher frequency peak to the reorientation of polar sub molecular species of constituent molecules.