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Preliminary study of the fungicidal and structural variability in copper naphthenates and naphthenic acids
1996 - IRG/WP 96-30114
Copper naphthenates, an oil-borne wood preservative listed by the American Wood-Preservers' Association (AWPA), is manufactured by complexing copper(II) with naphthenic acids. Prior to AWPA listing as a wood preservative, field experiments showed that copper naphthenates generally had good stability and were active against wood-destroying organisms. Recently, however, there have been reports ...
T Schultz, D D Nicholas, L L Ingram Jr, T H Fisher


Update on lab and field test results for polymeric alkylphenol polysulfide treated wood
2002 - IRG/WP 02-40240
The possibility of using Polymeric Alkylphenol Polysulfide (PXTS) as a wood preservative has been undergoing evaluation in our laboratories for the past four years. Various formulations prepared from this compound have been tested and found to be effective against wood decay fungi and insects in field stakes after 42 months exposure. In accelerated soil bed tests, PXTS has been shown to be consi...
J Goswami, A Abramson, R Buff, D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Susceptibility of angiosperm sapwood to white-rot fungal colonization and subsequent degradation: a hypothesis
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10211
It has long been recognized that angiosperm sapwood in nature is relatively easily and preferentially degraded by white-rot fungi. This susceptibility to white-rot fungi is generally believed to be mainly caused by the structure and concentration of angiosperm lignin. However, an explicit explanation as to why lignin structure makes a particular wood vulnerable to white-rot colonisation and subseq...
T Schultz, D D Nicholas


Detection of incipient brown rot decay in wood by fourier transform infrared spectrometry
1987 - IRG/WP 2275
Fourier transform infrared spectrometry was evaluated as a possible method for detecting different levels of brown-rot decay in pine sapwood. By using first derivative spectra and regression analysis, an equation based on 4 absorption peaks, normalized with an internal standard peak, was developed. The correlation between weight loss and absorption was highly significant indicating that this is a ...
D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Effect of permeability and extractives on the decay rate of southern pine sapwood in above grund exposure
2005 - IRG/WP 05-20310
The effects of wood permeability and hydrophilic and hydrophobic extractives on the decay rate of southern pine sapwood in above ground exposure were investigated. Permeability was determined by water sorption measurements, and the effect of extractives was studied by pre-extracting the test samples prior to outdoor exposure using water to extract hydrophilic extractives or sequential methanol/cy...
D D Nicholas, T Schultz, L Sites, D Buckner


Accelerated laboratory soil contact decay test using soil amended with composted wood
2004 - IRG/WP 04-20284
The effect of amending soil with wood compost on the decay rate of wood wafers in contact with the unsterile soil, as measured by radial compression strength loss, was explored. It was found that the addition of composted wood to the soil significantly increased the wood decay rate. The reason for this acceleration in wood decay is not entirely clear, but appears to be at least partially associate...
D D Nicholas, H Borazjani, T Schultz


Effect of soil parameters on biocide depletion: laboratory and field studies of water- and emulsion-borne preservatives
2000 - IRG/WP 00-30234
Two field test sites with different soils were selected. Soil analysis showed that the soil at the two sites had considerable texture, base saturation, acidity, and cation exchange capacity differences. Five sets of field stakes were treated as follows: three with water-borne CCA to about 0.4 pcf (6.4 kgm-3) retention, one with 0.75% DDAC, and one with 0.75% DDAC:0.25% chlorothalonil. The last two...
T Schultz, D D Nicholas, D E Pettry, M G Kim


Comparative performance of several ammoniacal copper preservative systems
1997 - IRG/WP 97-30151
The efficacy of several ammoniacal copper-based wood preservative systems was evaluated in this study. The selection of potential co-biocides was based on the results of an agar plate test. Following this, the most promising systems were evaluated in a standard field stake test. Good correlation was found between the agar plate and field stake test results. Of the preservative systems tested, copp...
D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Mechanisms of Protection by NHA Against Fungal Decay
2002 - IRG/WP 02-10429
Treating wood with the water-borne sodium salt of N'-N-naphthaloylhydroxylamine (Na-NHA) protects wood against decay and termite damage. Initial testing indicated little or no inhibition of sapstain fungi, molds, or soft-rot fungi by Na-NHA, suggesting that the mechanism by which this compound protected wood was complex and not that of a broad-spectrum biocide. Previously, we (Green et...
F Green III, W Henry, T Schultz


Modification of wood by graft treatment
2003 - IRG/WP 03-40257
New water-repellent systems for wood are needed to improve the weathering characteristics. This study found that treatment of wood with chemical grafting systems imparted substantial water repellency. Different direct oxidative grafting systems were examined. Specifically, KMnO4, Fe(NH4)(SO4)2·12H2O, Fe2(SO4)3·5H2O, and (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6 were used as initiators and styrene as the monomer. All the...
M M Morshed, D D Nicholas, C Pittman Jr, T Schultz


Lab and field test results for wood treated with polymeric alkylphenol polysulfide
2001 - IRG/WP 01-30268
A new wood preservative based on polymeric alkyphenol polysulfide (PXTS-A) is being evaluated in a series of laboratory and field tests and the results continue to show promise. A modified formulation (PXTS-B), which contains additives to reduce the viscosity, is being evaluated along with the original formulation. Soil block decay tests comparing PXTS-B with CCA-C indicate that PXTS-B is equally ...
J Goswami, A Abramson, R Buff, D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Laboratory studies of CCA-C-leaching: influence of wood and soil properties on extent of arsenic and copper depletion
2002 - IRG/WP 02-50186
The extent which a wood preservative leaches is important for efficacy studies and environmental concerns. However, little information exists on the effect soil properties have on leaching. This study investigated leaching of stakelets which had been cut from five different southern yellow pine (SYP) sapwood boards then treated with CCA-C to a target retention of 6.4 kgm-3 (0.4 pcf). All stakel...
D Crawford, R F Fox, D P Kamden, S T Lebow, D D Nicholas, D Pettry, T Schultz, L Sites, R J Ziobro


Efficacy of copper:propiconazole and copper:citrate systems in ground contact exposure at a site with copper tolerant fungi
2003 - IRG/WP 03-30305
Southern yellow pine (SYP) sapwood field stakes were treated with copper alone (ammoniacal copper carbonate, ACC) at four levels, or three levels of copper (1.6, 3.2, or 6.4 kgm-3, as CuO), air-dried, then re-treated with propiconazole in a light organic solvent at 0.07, 0.3, or 0.7 kgm-3 retentions. In a separate study, SYP field stakes were treated with three levels of ACC to give 6.7, 13.4 or ...
D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Synergistic combination of an antioxidant and wood preservative: a preliminary study
1998 - IRG/WP 98-30172
We previously proposed that extractives in highly durable angiosperm heartwood may protect wood against white-rot fungal colonization and subsequent degradation by a dual mechanism: extractives have some fungicidal activity and are also free radical scavengers (antioxidants) and thus interfere with the fungal free radical degradative mechanisms. We tested this hypothesis using the commercial bioci...
T Schultz, D D Nicholas, J Minn, K D McMurtrey, T H Fisher


Dimensional stabilization and decay resistance of wood treated with brown-rotted lignin and copper sulfate
1990 - IRG/WP 3608
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of brown-rotted lignin (BRL) as a dimensional stabilization and copper complexing agent for wood treatment. For dimensional stabilization, aqueous solutions of the lignin extract were combined with either copper sulfate, glyoxal or other additives. Anti-shrink efficiency (ASE) values as high as 42% were obtained with wood treated...
L Jin, D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Screening wood preservatives: Comparison of the soil block, agar block and agar plate tests
1993 - IRG/WP 93-20001
Several test procedures have been developed over the years to screen potential biocides for their value as wood preservatives. Each test has inherent advantages and disadvantages. In this paper the relative merits of the soil block, agar block and agar plate tests are compared. Eight commercially available biocides encompassing inorganic and organic systems were tested against four basidiomycete d...
K J Archer, D D Nicholas, T Schultz


Environmentally benign wood preservatives based on organic biocide antioxidant combinations: A brief review of laboratory and field exposure results and discussion of a proposed mechanism
2004 - IRG/WP 04-30335
The combination of various organic biocides with commercial antioxidants generally increased the biocides’ efficacy 2-3 fold against wood-destroying fungi in short-term laboratory decay tests, and some positive results have been obtained after 2-4 years of outdoor exposure. The two antioxidants principally examined, propyl gallate and butylated hydroxytoluene, are low cost and, since both are f...
T Schultz, D D Nicholas, W Henry, C Pittman, D Wipf, B Goodell


Effect of wood decay on the proportional limit of thin wood samples stressed in the bending mode
2006 - IRG/WP 06-20334
When using bending stiffness as a measure of wood decay it is advantageous to repeatedly test individual samples after they are exposed to decay fungi for varying periods of time. In order to obtain reliable results, variation in modulus of elasticity (MOE) values of the test samples that are repeatable bent to a given deflection must be considered. In this study it was shown that sound 3mm thick ...
G Li, D Nicholas, T Schultz


Water repellency and dimensional stabilIty of wodd treated with waterborne resin acids/TOR
2007 - IRG/WP 07-40364
Wood used in above ground applications such as decking undergoes undesired dimensional changes leading to the lumber warping, cupping, splitting, etc. This is a major concern to consumers but it can be reduced by treating lumber with a water repellent. The ability of resin acids, hydrophobic compounds naturally present in southern yellow pines, was examined as a possible water repellent. A wate...
T P Schultz, D D Nicholas, J Shi


A hypothesis on a second non-biocidal property of wood extractives, in addition to toxicity, that affects termite behavior and mortality
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10638
While it is has long been recognized that heartwood extractives affect termite behavior, the exact cause and relationship between total extractives, extractive types, and termite resistance remains unclear. Generally, researchers have proposed that the extractives are toxic and/or repel termites. We propose, based on the well known fact that many extractives have excellent antioxidant properties...
T P Schultz, K Ragon, D D Nicholas


Field Stake Tests with Copper-based Preservatives
2008 - IRG/WP 08-30459
The performance of field test stakes derived from commercially produced ground contact retention copper quat preservatives based on either soluble copper complexed with ethanolamine, or from a water-based suspension of particulate micronized copper compounds, as well as untreated southern yellow pine controls, is compared at two decay test sites. After less than one year in field test some of t...
A Preston, L Jin, D Nicholas, A Zahora, P Walcheski, K Archer, T Schultz


Measurement of wood decay by dynamic MOE in an accelerated soil contact test
2008 - IRG/WP 08-20390
Current laboratory and field testing of preservatives involves various techniques to determine the extent of fungal attack, including visual inspection, mass loss, and static bending and compression strength measurements. The objective of this study was to compare decay measurement by conventional compression strength versus dynamic MOE, employing small wood stakes in an accelerated laboratory so...
Gan Li, D D Nicholas, T P Schultz


Evaluation of variables that influence dynamic MOE in wood decay studies
2009 - IRG/WP 09-20409
The effect of wood moisture content (MC) and outdoor exposure of southern pine lap-joint components on dynamic MOE values was investigated. The use of dynamic MOE as a method of measuring progressive biodeterioration of above ground test samples shows promise, but the accuracy of this method for evaluating test samples subjected to fluctuating environmental conditions has not been reported. The re...
D Nicholas, J Shi, T Schultz


Preference of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) for Southern Pine Blue-Stained Sapwood from Beetle-Killed Trees
2012 - IRG/WP 12-10763
Bark beetles and their associated Ophiostomatiod fungi are the major pests of pine forests in the southeastern USA, and termites are the major insect decomposers of dead trees and wood products in the southeastern USA. While both are the principal destructive insects of southern pine trees and southern pine lumber, respectively, no relationship between the two has apparently been reported in the ...
N S Little, J J Riggins, A J Londo, T P Schultz, D D Nicholas


Effect of an antioxidant on the efficacy of organic wood preservatives in an accelerated soil contact decay test
2012 - IRG/WP 12-30583
In comparison to inorganic wood preservatives, organic biocides in transient carriers are considerably less effective when the treated wood is exposed to soil contact. Various oils are used in some formulations with pentachlorophenol to improve the efficacy. However, use of these oils imparts unacceptable properties to products used in residential applications. Consequently, there is a need to de...
D D Nicholas, J Shi, T P Schultz, L Sites