Plastics are products made from synthetic polymer with features such as light weight, strong and cheap. This attributes make plastic an industrial desirable material for manufacture of many products. As the daily demand continues to increase, the production also increases; this development has posed a greater risk to the environment and nature (Kumar et al., 2022). The impact of plastic wastes to ecosystem has now become a big catastrophic, causing ecological pollution to land and ocean. Many terrestrial and aquatic animals mistakenly ingest plastic firm in either micro or macro forms as food, while emissions of highly toxic gases like dioxins, furans, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyis into the air as a result of burning plastic wastes causes health effect to vegetation, humans and animal (Rinkuverma 2016; Li et al., 2016 and Burning Pit, 2016). Today, the uses of plastic products are now causing uproar in many countries of the world. Many researchers have worked on conversion of plastic waste to various polymer composites for different applications (Rehman et al., 2013). Researchers are tremendously working on how best to make polymer composites an environmental friendly material with less or no disaster or damage to the ecosystem. The introduction of wood to polymer composites is considered new a technology to advance composite; which involves combination of wood and polymer at specific temperature and pressure (Aina et al., 2016). Wood in polymer composite is recently known as wood plastic composites (WPCs) which are widely used as structural products in many construction applications; for example decoration, roofing, furniture and home decoration.
WPCs are currently being tremendously used in exterior building applications for residential construction, the introduction of WPCs for decking and flooring is mainly responsible for the growth. WPCs exhibited greater durability, less maintenance, absorb less moisture and have better fungal resistance when compared to timber (Clemons, 2002). Recent findings show that WPC products are currently developed for railings, fencing, roofing and siding (Gardner et al., 2015). Slaughter, (2004) also revealed that WPC materials exhibit improved durability with respect to checking, decay, termites, and marine organisms compared to timber. As the manufacturers and interest of WPCs are growing in Europe, Japan, Taiwan and North America for architectural reasons, nothing of such are being recorded in developing countries (Kuo et al., 2009; Ticky 2004). Many wood users are mostly concerns about the durability of their products to resist biotic agents (microbes, insects and associated enzymes) found within their region. An insect such as termites are known to be ecosystem engineers that attack lignocellulosic materials and non-cellulose materials such as plastic in search of food (Kumar et al., 2020 and Kumar et al., 2022). It was recently reported that various microbial population harbour in the gut of termites helps to degrade the plastic polymer (Lopez-Naranjo et al., 2013; and Yang et al., 2014). Another studies also revealed that termites have potential to degrade plastic via their mandibles (Kumar et al., 2022; Yu et al., 2015). Ahmed et al., (2018) also recorded that various types of polymers and wood plastic composites can be attack by termites.
Wood is readily abundant in Africa with many plastic wastes littering the environment in Nigeria and managing the menace has become a major problem to the country. Wood as natural lignocelluloses fibres formed a major constituent in WPCs that makes it susceptible to termite attack (Tascioglu et al., 2013). Recent studies shows that introduction of polymers to wood can improved the durability in terms of dimensional stability, water repellency, decay resistance and acid resistance compared with non polymerized wood; it has also shown to improve biodeterioration resistance (Li et al., 2016). An array of subsequent studies have clearly illustrated that wood found in many WPCs remains susceptible to biodegradation (Morrell et al., 2010; McDonald et al., 2010; Schauwecker et al., 2006, Pendleton et al., 2002; Verhey et al., 2001; Khavkine et al., 2001, Laks and Verhey, 2000, Murkowski and Morrell 2000 ). While great improvements have been made in product formulations designed to increase durability, it’s clear enough that WPCs are not completely immune to biodeterioration, but how susceptible would they be in Nigeria? Recent study shows that wood and plastic formulation in WPC has significant impact on termite resistivity (Douglas and Alejandro, 2018). Termite species (Coptotermes acinaciformis and Mastotermes darwiniensis) in Australian termites were found to damage plastic samples far more than any other species (Lenz et al., 2011; Thamil 2016). Studies also shows that type of polymers, polymer loadings and type of wood species used for WPCs may resist subterranean termite (Coptotermes curvignathus) attack than untreated wood (Nuryawan et al., 2020; Douglas and Alejandro 2018; Hadi et al., 2019).
As more and more researches are being carried out on durability of WPCs to biotic agents in temperate soil, less or little information are available on durability of WPCs exposed to termites in tropical soil. Ceiba pentandra was chosen for this investigation because it is the most vulnerable African wood to termites when in contact with the soil; it has very low durability and liable to attack by biotic agents (Insect and fungi) and also found to be good raw material for WPC production (Aina 2015). Based on this knowledge gaps, it was necessaries that this research study should be carry out to investigate the durability and mechanical properties of WPCs attack to subterranean termites using field tests. The WPCs specimens were polymerized and wood reinforced at proportion of 40/60, 50/50 and 60/40 (wood/plastic) for the purposes of comparison.