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Challenges in managing very long-term field tests
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30779
Field testing of wood preservatives has been on-going in Petawawa, Ontario, Canada since at least 1937. Many of the treated roundwood posts from these early experiments are still in test, and include preservatives still used today, including creosote, copper naphthenate, pentachlorophenol and CCA. Performance data from selected experiments more than 50 years old are reported and we discuss some of...
R Stirling, D Wong


Establishing the minimum effective penetration of wood preservatives in the refractory heartwood of E. nitens
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30780
Conventional pressure treatment of many Australian hardwoods results in little to no penetration of heartwood and a non-uniform envelope treatment of <5 mm surrounding a mostly untreated core. This is a major issue for many of the low durability plantation hardwood timbers that are grown in Tasmania, which contain high percentages of heartwood. Long term studies on softwoods such as spruce decking...
J R Vargas, J J Morrell, L Yermán, K C Wood


Through-boring to improve the performance of low durability Eucalyptus species for utility poles: 10-year field test results of pole stubs exposed in Southeast Queensland
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40972
An impending shortage of naturally durable hardwood electricity pole timbers in Australia has encouraged investigation of alternatives containing less durable, untreatable heartwood. Through-boring or drilling holes perpendicular to the long axis before treatment, has been used successfully on refractory softwood poles in North America and might have application in Australia. The use of through-bo...
J Norton, L P Francis, J J Morrell


X-ray fluorescence microscopy of copper ion distribution in decay of copper-treated wood by Fibroporia radiculosa
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11047
Copper is an essential metal ion for eukaryotic life and must strictly be regulated as excess levels can cause oxidative damage, enzyme inhibition and denaturation, interruptions in nutrient transport and even cellular death. Copper-based wood treatments have efficacy against a wide range of biological organisms including decay fungi and are used in the majority of preservative formulations for ou...
K M Ohno, J Jakes, A B Bishell, L Li, Q Jin, E Maxey


X-ray micro-computed tomography of copper distribution in CA, ACQ and MCA treated wood and changes in microstructure of ACQ-treated southern pine following natural weathering
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20707
We hypothesized that X-ray micro-CT would be able to visualize: (a) the distribution of copper in CA-treated southern pine; and (b) microstructural changes in ACQ-treated southern pine exposed to natural weathering. Small blocks were removed from southern pine samples treated with CA and also southern pine treated with ACQ and MCA. Small blocks were also removed from ACQ-treated boards (flat and p...
D Feng, M Turner, P D Evans


Benefits of borate dual treatment
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20710
Treatment of railroad ties with borate followed by over-treatment with creosote or copper naphthenate, called dual treatment, has become standard practice for ties being installed in higher decay hazard areas of the U.S. This paper provides an overview of why that has happened. Borate preservative presents very low human health and environmental risk. It diffuses through even hard to treat hear...
S T Smith, J D Lloyd, S McKinney


Comparison of copper leaching from alkaline copper quat and copper compound nanosol-based wood preservative treated wood
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20726
To improve the leaching resistance of copper ion-based wood preservatives, copper compound nanosol-based wood preservatives were developed and its copper leaching characteristics were evaluated. Three types of preservatives (DC1, DC2, DC3) were prepared with different crystallinity and dispersant types of copper compound nanosol, and the copper concentration was adjusted to be the same as that of ...
Y-S Choi, S-M Yoon, J O Kim, J-G Kang, J-G Park


Virtual reality of wood protection
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20727
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows people to explore and interact with computer generated environments using devices that stimulate different senses (sight, sound and touch). VR is mainly used for education, training and entertainment, but it also has the potential to provide new insights into scientific phenomena. We describe our work on the use of VR as a learning tool for students...
D Feng, Y Liu, M Turner, A Limaye, P D Evans


A new wood preservative system based on basic copper compound nanosols
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20728
A bottom-up process was established to synthesize insoluble basic copper compound nanoparticles and simultaneously form a stable nanosol by dropping a neutralizing agent solution into an aqueous solution of a copper compound to which an appropriate dispersant system was added. The main ingredient of MCA (Micronized Copper Azole), the leading copper-based wood preservative in the current world mark...
J O Kim, J-G Kang, Y-S Choi, S-M Yoon, H-M Lee, J-G Park


Keeping wood greenest: Maximizing the unique benefits of preserved wood through end-of-life planning to realize carbon sequestration and a circular economy
2024 - IRG/WP 24-50387
While competitive fuels and different energy sources are a main driver of current difficulties with using end-of-life wood products for fuel, that is a potentially smaller problem than the rapidly changing carbon footprints of competitive materials, which can potentially be smaller than wood, if the wrong decisions are made at the end of life by users and waste generators. While users have several...
J D Lloyd, B Poe


Levels of chromated copper arsenate in aged radiata pine vineyard posts
2024 - IRG/WP 24-50389
At the Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, Australia a cooperative project is underway with Forest and Wood Products Australia, supported by a consortium of timber producers, chemical suppliers and timber users to identify alternative pathways for treated timber and EWP’s. Under this initiative, we are focusing on establishing the current and forecasting future volumes of treated timbe...
T Singh, T Yi, P Mitchell, J Norton


Copper migration from preservative-treated Douglas-fir decking: models vs laboratory leaching data
2024 - IRG/WP 24-50390
The ability of a model to predict copper migration from Douglas-fir treated with organic metallic substances into a freshwater slough was evaluated against data generated through simulated overhead leaching. The model predicted very high loadings of ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate, alkaline copper quaternary or copper azole that had the potential to impact water quality while data from the exper...
M J Konkler, G Presley, J J Morrell, T Singh


Quantifying metal migration from a deck constructed with copper-azole-treated lumber
2024 - IRG/WP 24-50391
Soluble copper or micronized copper wood preservatives are the most common available wood preservative systems for residential applications in the United States. Copper containing wood preservatives have been scrutinized for their potential negative impacts on the environment, across many jurisdictions. Concerns arise from the potential for preservatives to migrate out of treated wood upon water e...
G Presley, M Konkler


Quantitative assessment of wood preservative emissions to waterways
2024 - IRG/WP 24-50393
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Emission Scenario Document (ESD) for Wood Preservatives provides methods to quantify the release of active substances from treated wood for various scenarios including sheet pilings in a flowing waterway (OECD 2013). The ESD is used for environmental risk assessment of wood preservatives according to the Biocidal Products Regulation...
K J Rader, R Carbonaro, C Mackie


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