Preservation of rubber wood against biological decay by salts derived from leachate
Wood preservatives are typically chemicals that granted antimicrobial properties to timber, while leachate is the liquid that percolated through accumulation of waste materials. Clostridium butyricum NCIMB 7423 was used to ferment leachate with 1.15 L working volume under anaerobic condition at 37°C and pH 6.5.This research focuses on preserving rubber wood by acids and salts derived from the fermented leachate. First and second set of treatment were performed to study fungal resistance of wood treated by acids and salts respectively. Biological decay test was conducted using Phanerochaete chrysosporium to determine the percentage of mass loss for different preservatives. The salt concentration of 0.5 M sodium acetate and sodium butyrate shows satisfactory result to preserve rubber wood. Thus, the salts derivative could be converted into rubber wood preservative. This research will reflect to material from waste to wealth and support sustainable technology.