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Elephant dung (ED) particleboard (PB) still has subpar physical and mechanical qualities. In earlier research, adding wood shavings and bamboo layers to ED-derived PB successfully enhanced its physical and mechanical qualities. However, the resistance to termites and decay of this PB is still unknown. Therefore, this study examines the resistances to termites and decay of the PBs from ED fiber-modified with wood shavings and bamboo layering. ED and wood shavings were distributed throughout the PB in ratios of 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 (w/w %). Meanwhile, tali bamboo (Gigantochloa apus), talang bamboo (Schizostachyum brachycladum), kuning bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris), belangke bamboo (Gigantochloa pruriens), and betung bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) were the materials used in this study. These findings demonstrated that adding wood shavings could improve PB's resistance to termite and decay attacks. However, in this investigation, the layering of bamboo diminishes the PB's resistance to termite and decay attack. A 50/50 ratio between ED and wood shavings achieved slightly higher termite mortality and lower weight loss than others. Meanwhile, kuning bamboo had lower termite mortality and higher weight loss than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) are the world's largest living land mammals. The elephant's digestive system can only absorb 40% of the nutrients in digested feed, and the remainder is excreted as dung. Elephant dung waste can be used as a particleboard material due to its high fiber content. The objectives of this study are: (i) to prepare elephant dung waste as raw material for particleboard, (ii) to improve elephant dung particleboard's physical and mechanical properties using wood shavings, and (iii) to study the influence of several parameters on the physical and mechanical properties of particleboard. The particleboard dimensions and density were set at 20 cm × 20 cm × 1 cm and 0.8 g/cm3, respectively. The mixture ratio of elephant dung and wood shavings was 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 (% w/w). This mixture ratio of particles was sprayed with 7% isocyanate adhesive. The pressing at a pressure of 30 kg/cm2 for 5 min and 160 °C was used in this study. The physical and mechanical properties of particleboard were tested according to JIS A 5908 (2003) standard. The result shows that the addition of wood shaving improved the elephant dung particleboard's physical and mechanical properties. Except for moisture content and water absorption, the addition of wood shavings has a significant effect on elephant dung particleboard's physical and mechanical properties. The best ratio of elephant dung and wood-shaving for this research is 50/50 and has fulfilled the JIS A 5908-2003 standard, except for thickness swelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]