Abstract:
Concerns about the health and
environmental risks linked with the use of
preservatives, such as chromate copper
arsenate (CCA), zinc chloride, mercuric
chloride, and the oil-born preservative
creosote, prompted the quest for the use of
readily available bitumen as a wood
preservative. Using samples that had been
processed into dimensions of 20 × 20 × 60
mm, the durability and physical
characteristics of Gmelina arborea wood
treated with bitumen were evaluated. The
samples were dried for 24 hours in an oven
set to 103°C and treated with hot bitumen at
a melting point of 270°C to ensure the flow
and maximum penetration of the bitumen.
The density showed mean values of 504.93
and 498.71 kg/m3 for the untreated and
treated samples, respectively, with the
treated samples recording lower values due
to the thermal difference in the density
distribution between the untreated and
treated wood samples. The average weight
loss due to leaching of the untreated and
treated wood samples after soaking in cold
water and hot water was 3.07% and 0.07%,
1.49% and 1.38% respectively for the
treatment. The study confirmed the
suitability of using bitumen as a preservative
for treating G. arborea wood in an
environment with extreme weather
conditions without causing serious leaching,
thereby exposing the wood to degrading
agents.
