Wood destroying agents which attack wood
also attack wood products. It is well known that
preservation plays an important role in the use of
naturally non-durable species of wood and wood
products by increasing its service life. Similarly
preservative treated plywood has a greater service
life. The common preservatives for composites are
boric acid and borax. These compounds are effective
against decay and sap staining fungi and wood
destroying insects. Rubber wood (Hevea
braziliensis) is a non-durable species and susceptible
to fungal and insect attack quickly after sawing. It is
assumed that without preservative treatment rubber
wood could not be a suitable raw material for
plywood and particleboard manufacture. Veneer
obtained both from sapwood and hardwood of non-durable timber species when used for plywood
manufacture should be soaked in 1.25% solution of
boric acid or 1.90% solution of borax at a
temperature of 93°C to 100°C for a period of 10 to 40
minutes depending on species and thickness of the <
veneer (Anon. 1983). With this aim in view the
present study has been undertaken.