Effects of Manufacturing Conditions on the Properties of Boric Acid/Melamine-Urea-Formaldehyde Microcapsules Prepared By in situ Polymerization: Its Inhibition Behavior on Wood Destroying Fungi

Abstract

Water-soluble boric acid (BA) was microencapsulated by in situ polymerization with a melamine-urea formaldehyde shell. The effects of core-shell ratio, time, and temperature on the microcapsule characteristics were investigated. The microencapsulated BA was tested for its effectiveness against wood-destroying fungi. The results showed that the core:shell ratio affected the individuality of the microcapsules (MCs), and the most individual microcapsules were those with the 1:1 core:shell ratio. The microencapsulation temperature at the 1:1 core:shell ratio affected the surface porosity and size spectrum of MCs. The surface was porous, and the size spectrum was narrow at 50 °C. The microencapsulation reaction time at the 1:1 core-shell ratio did not have a considerable effect on the MC size. Although the MC size spectrum varied in the studied parameters (core: shell ratio, temperature, time), the average MC sizes were large enough to pass through the bordered pits of the softwood cell wall. Slow boron release was obtained by optimizing the MC preparation parameters. The optimum microencapsulation parameters for slow release of BA were the 1:1 core:shell ratio, 50 °C, and time of 120 min. The capsules produced at optimum microencapsulation parameters were biologically active against the fungus Coniophora puteana and leaching resistance was improved.