Biological Performance of Hard Wood Composite formulated from Rice Straw and Polystyrene Foam Wastes

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological resistance of Hard Wood Composite (HWC) panel incorporating various concentrations of Zinc Borate (ZB) and / or Magnesium Hydroxide (MH) against some fungi and bacteria decay. Various panel formulations were prepared from rice straw and polystyrene foam waste and subjected to six species of microorganisms (three fungi and three bacteria), based on agar plate method, for 14 and 28 days. At the end of those incubation periods, bulk density, mass loss, decay rate, changes in mechanical integrity were evaluated. Based on the data reached it could be concluded that: within the concentration levels of zinc borate used for formulating the HWC under consideration, would render them resistance to biological decay and candidate the HWC panels for many in-doors applications safely.