The Thermo-Chemical Modification of Avodire (<i>Turraeanthus</i><i> africanus</i>) to Enhance Its Performance for Interior Applications

Abstract

Lesser-utilised wood species may have the same or even superior performance for certain end-uses compared to the majority of Ghana’s most commonly used wood species. Avodire (Turraeanthus africanus) is a Lesser-utilised wood species and is found in large quantities in forests of Ghana, but it is a less durable wood. Thermal treatment is a technique that can be used to enhance the durability of wood. The purpose of this research was to chemically and thermally treat Avodire wood samples to investigate the impact of the modification on its durability for interior applications. The wood samples were chemically modified to a weight percentage gain of 7.78 ± 0.48 and thermally modified between temperatures 150˚C and 240˚C. Thermo-chemically modified samples exhibited resistance to decay and termite degradation. According to the study’s findings, samples that were not thermally treated and those that were thermally treated but not chemically modified had more weight loss and were less resistant to termite damage. Thermo-chemically modified samples at temperatures between 150˚C and 240˚C were effective for increasing the species’ resistance to damage from termites and decay.