Resistance of particleboards made from Eucalyptus sp. wood and sugarcane bagasse to xylophagous organisms

Particleboards bonded with adhesives from renewable sources, containing agroindustrial residues in their composition, offer not only diversification of raw materials and reduction of environmental pollution but also desirable physical properties to the product. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the biological resistance of composites produced with different proportions of Eucalyptus sp. wood particles and sugarcane bagasse, bonded with a tannin-based adhesive, to xylophagous organisms. The composites were made with wood particles sized 0.53–4.0 mm, in proportions of 70, 80, 90, and 100%, and sugarcane bagasse (0.5 mm) in proportions of 10, 20, and 30%. After homogenization, the particles were glued with tannin adhesive (100%) or tannin-lignosulfonates (80–20%), and hot-pressed (160 °C) at a pressure of 3.92 MPa for 10 min. From the produced panels, samples of 2.5 × 2.5 × 1.27 cm and 5.0 × 5.0 × 1.27 cm (length × width × thickness) were used for tests with the fungi Gloeophyllum trabeum (brown rot) and Trametes versicolor (white rot), and drywood termites, for periods of 12 weeks and 45 days, respectively. The results indicated that increasing the proportion of sugarcane bagasse improved the panels’ resistance to the tested fungi. However, it facilitated the access of drywood termites to the interior, ensuring greater survival. Panels bonded with 100% tannin adhesive resulted in higher mortality.