Recipient Organization
MERICHEM CHEMICALS & REFINERY SERVICES, LLC
5455 OLD SPANISH TRAIL
HOUSTON,TX 77023
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
An ideal wood preservative is stable in wood, biodegrades in soil, is non-corrosive, and if the wood is burned, either inadvertently or for disposal, does not produce toxic fumes or ash. Boron is a broad spectrum preservative with good efficacy against fungi and most insects. However, boron preservatives are not stable in wood due to their high solubility in water. A boron-based compound with functionalities designed to provide permanence in wood will be prepared. The compound will be introduced into wood and its efficacy as a preservative measured by studying resistance to decay and permanence in the wood. The advantages of commercial production of the leach resistant boron include a reduction in environmental risks associated with current preservative systems and expansion of borate preservatives to exterior use applications.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Wood preservatives are used in more than 700 million cubic feet of wood annually. Current preservatives contain heavy metals and other toxic materials, which may be harmful to our environment. A non-leachable boron-based system has eluded researchers seeking an environmentally friendly, yet effective preservative. The development of a non-leachable boron compound which can be used in ground contact applications will significantly reduce the environmental risks of traditional preservatives, making it an appealing alternative in the wood preserving industry. The goal of this study is to address the feasibility of a permanent boron-based wood preservative which is environmentally benign, yet will be effective in preventing wood rot due to insects and microbial agents. Boron compounds have distinct advantages over heavy metal preservatives now used in leach-prone applications. Boron compounds are highly effective wood preservatives with low toxicity to both mammalian and
aquatic organisms. To date all boron compounds tested in the wood preserving industry are prone to leaching and are therefore restricted to interior applications. This research will employ several tactics in the design of the preservative molecule to overcome the permanence issues. A stabilizing functionality will be employed to prevent conversion of the boron-based preservative to a leachable form. Other functional groups will add a water repellent character to the compound which will further aid in permanence of the boron. The hydrolytic stability and leachability of the preservative will be measured as a means to determine its permanence in pressure treated wood. The efficacy of the preservative will be measured by determining the toxic threshold to decay fungi in standard dosage-response testing.
Project Methods
This research will investigate a boron-containing wood preservative which is water insoluble and stable to hydrolysis and can therefore be used in exterior residential service, such as fences and decks. The preservative will be prepared from readily available materials in a simple reaction. The hydrolytic stability of boron in the compound will be determined prior to treatment of wood in a standard pressure-treating format. The leaching rate from pressure treated wood, and efficacy against decay will be measured in standardized testing. The efficacy of the preservative will be measured by determining the toxic threshold to decay fungi in standard dosage-response testing. Accelerated testing of resistance to decay will utilize compression strength loss tests of wood, pressure-treated with the material.