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Chemical preservation (with or without the help of special equipment) ensures long term protection. Depending upon the method of bamboo treatment, chemical preservatives can impart short term or long term protection.
With a few exceptions, chemical preservatives to protect bamboo against biological attacks and degradation are toxic. Selection and application has to be done with great care to meet performance, environment requirements and safety.
Non-Fixing Type Preservatives
Non-fixing bamboo preservatives mainly consist of boron salts, which are effective against borers, termites and fungi (except soft rot fungi). These boron salts are dissolved in water. After treatment, the water evaporates leaving the salts inside the bamboo. They are not toxic and can be used for treating bamboo products like baskets, dry containers, etc. which come in contact with food products.
Boric Acid Borax
Curing bamboo with borax and boric acid is the most popular bamboo preservation method (for indoor use) around the world because it is effective and more environmentally friendly than other wood preservatives.
The combination of boric acid and borax in a ratio of 1:1.5 is an alkaline salt called: Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (Na2B8O13 x 4H2O) and is available in pre-mixed powder form.
Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is a white, odorless, powdered substance that is not flammable, cumbustible, or explosive and has acute low oral and dermal toxicity. The product itself is fire retardant and shows no hazardous decomposition.
This salt, is used as an insecticide and fungicide, and is also effective against fungi and algae. It has an infinite shelf life and is not affected by temperature. Diluted with water, bamboo can be impregnated, submerged or sprayed with this chemical.
Formula (1):
boric acid / borax
ratio 1:1.5
Formula (2):
boric acid / borax / sodium dichromate
ratio 2:2:0.5
Recommended concentration:
4-5% indoor use (not exposed to weather or ground contact)
* How to Interpret the Terms: 'Ratio' and 'Concentration'?
The ratio of the chemical solution is based on kilograms per 100 liters of water.
For example, if you see this:
boric acid / borax / sodium dichromate
ratio 2:2:0.5
It actually means this:
a mixture of 2 kg of boric acid / 2 kg of borax / 500 gr of sodium dichromate in 100 liters of water.
The above example is the equivalent of 4,5% concentration. If you want to ramp this up to a concentration of 9% you just have to double the mixture like this:
a mixture of 4 kg of boric acid / 4 kg of borax / 1 kg of sodium dichromate in 100 liters of water.
Written By Stéphane Schröder
www.guaduabamb...