The durability of oil-heat treated Acacia hybrid wood, an important plantation species
in Sabah, was tested using in-vitro techniques against three different wood decay
fungi (P. sanguineus,C . versicolor and G. trabeum).T o determine the effectiveness
of the treatments ,
900 wood blocks of Acacia hybrid («1.0 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm) were
soaked into boiling palm oil with different temperature range between 180°C - 220°C
and period between 30 - 90 min before exposed to the fungal cultures for 12 weeks.
Results from the in-vitro tests showed that massive colonization by fungi on
woodblocks affected the weight loss of samples from top, middle and bottom portion
of trees, with a range of 2.89 - 10.59%, 4.67-20.33% and 4.27-20.55%
(P. sanguineus); 3.26-15.42%, 3.88-16.84% and 4.69-18.79% (C. versicolor) and
0.88-4.94%, 1.22-5.29% and 1.22-4.89% (G. trabeum). The percentage of moisture
contents of the oil heat treated Acacia hybrid wood had decreased in relation to the
treatment given (5.96%, 5.61% and 4.40%) compared to untreated samples
(12.04%, 13% and 13.48%) for top, middle and bottom portion respectively. A lesser
amount of weight loss indicated greater durability of woods in relation to the
treatment given, subsequently implied the potential of the heat treatment in
improving resistance of Acacia hybrid woods against wood decay fungi