EFEITO DO TRATAMENTO TÉRMICO SOBRE A RESISTÊNCIA DA MADEIRA DE CAMBARÁ A CUPINS SUBTERRÂNEOS

Abstract

The study evaluated the influence of heat treatment on termites attack of Qualea paraensis. wood. The wood used in the experiment was submitted to heat treatment with two temperatures (180 and 200°C) and two periods of stay in the oven (120 and 240 min.). After heat treatment the wood specimens were subjected to the biodegradation test, being maintained in a controlled environment with presence of the termites Nasutitermes corniger. (Dictyoptera: Termitidae) for 45 days. The results were submitted to variance analysis and the means compared to Tukey's test at 5% significance. The thermal treatments for the Qualea paraensis made modifiction characteristics of the wood. Three of the four thermal treatments evaluated increased the density. However, there was also an increase too in susceptibility of wood to the attack of humid wood termites.