Resistance of the Eucalyptus Wood in Natura and Torrefied Exposed to the Attack of Cryptotermes brevis

The reduced natural durability and low energy density of eucalyptus wood hampers its use to generate energy. Torrefaction or pre-carbonization, treatment in low oxygenation with temperatures between 200 °C and 300 °C, accumulates carbon and lignin, decreases hygroscopicity, increases energy efficiency and reduces the wood attractiveness to xylophagous organisms, such as termites. Therefore, this work had as its main aim to study the influence of the roasting temperature on the endurance of the Eucalyptus urophylla wood in natura as well as roasted, both exposed to the attack of dry-wood termites. To the execution of this study, in natura wood chips and torrefied chips (torrefied for 20 min at the following temperatures: 180, 220 and 260 °C) were submitted to the dry-wood termite resistance test. In this experiment, termites of the Cryptotermes brevis species were used. After 45 d of exposure, it was possible to observe that the torrefied treatment presented a greater resistance that consequently increased the endurance when exposed to the termite’s attack, observing that the control sample, loss five times more than mass than the chips torrefied at 260 °C. Besides, in the treatment with in natura chips, was observed less mortality of the termites and greater visual damage, confirming the lower durability of such material compared to torrefied chips.