title: Penetration and Effectiveness of Micronized Copper in Refractory Wood Species.
abstract: The North American wood decking market mostly relies on easily treatable Southern yellow pine (SYP), which is being impregnated with micronized copper (MC) wood preservatives since 2006. These formulations are composed of copper (Cu) carbonate particles (CuCO3·Cu(OH)2), with sizes ranging from 1 nm to 250 μm, according to manufacturers. MC-treated SYP wood is protected against decay by solubilized Cu2+ ions and unreacted CuCO3·Cu(OH)2 particles that successively release Cu2+ ions (reservoir effect). The wood species used for the European wood decking market differ from the North American SYP. One of the most common species is Norway spruce wood, which is poorly treatable i.e. refractory due to the anatomical properties, like pore size and structure, and chemical composition, like pit membrane components or presence of wood extractives. Therefore, MC formulations may not suitable for refractory wood species common in the European market, despite their good performance in SYP. We evaluated the penetration effectiveness of MC azole (MCA) in easily treatable Scots pine and in refractory Norway spruce wood. We assessed the effectiveness against the Cu-tolerant wood-destroying fungus Rhodonia placenta. Our findings show that MCA cannot easily penetrate refractory wood species and could not confirm the presence of a reservoir effect.
authors.affiliation: ETH, Institute for Building Materials, Zürich, Switzerland.|Empa, Applied Wood Materials, Dübendorf/ St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Civardi
authors.affiliation: UGCT - Woodlab-UGent, Laboratory of Wood Technology, Department of Forest and Water Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van den Bulcke
authors.affiliation: Empa, Applied Wood Materials, Dübendorf/ St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.affiliation: Empa, Advanced Fibers, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Empa, Applied Wood Materials, Dübendorf/ St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Butron
authors.affiliation: UGCT - Radiation Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Matthieu N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Boone
authors.affiliation: UGCT - Radiation Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dierick
authors.affiliation: UGCT - Woodlab-UGent, Laboratory of Wood Technology, Department of Forest and Water Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Acker
authors.affiliation: Empa, Particles-Biology Interactions, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wick
authors.affiliation: Empa, Applied Wood Materials, Dübendorf/ St. Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francis W M R
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Schwarze
mesh_terms: D002254:Carbonates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D055453:Coriolaceae / Q000502:physiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D009664:Norway; D010316:Particle Size; D028222:Picea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D013045:Species Specificity; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002254:Carbonates; D003300:Copper; C086270:copper carbonate