The performance of oriented strandboard (OSB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard and plywood treated with tebuconazole using supercritical carbon dioxide was investigated over a 48 month exposure under harsh above ground conditions in Hilo, Hawaii. Samples treated to low retentions (<0.20 kg/m3) tended to experience decay at rates that were only slightly lower than those found with untreated controls. This was particularly true with aspen OSB, which failed within 30 months regardless of treatment level. Most other samples treated to higher retentions remained free of fungal decay over the test period. Tebuconazole treated Douglas-fir plywood provided the best performance, demonstrating the benefits of combining a moderately durable heartwood with supplemental preservative treatment. The results indicate that SCF-treated wood provides reasonable performance in non-soil exposures under severe decay conditions.

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