Stability and performance of tributyltin compounds

IRG/WP 3275

F Imsgard, B Jensen, H A B Landsiedel, H Plum

Based on the critical examinations of the disputable permanence of tributyltin compounds in wood, this paper deals with a number of examinations of the relative evaporation, thermal stability and oxidation stability of some TBT-compounds. While thermal and oxidative stability is high for all TBT-species, the relative evaporation at elevated temperature is highly variable, and lowest for the TBT-esters examined. Evaporation measurements on treated wood confirm this order of precedence and stress the importance of the preservative formulation. The results also indicate that TBTO evaporates 2-3 times faster than TBTN. It is established that at high retention of TBT in wood the decomposition is slower than at low retention. This fact combined with the extra high retention of TBT in vacuum treated joints of window frames explains the fine record of non-failure for such windows, and the paper ends up with a calculation indicating the presence of sufficiently high amounts of tributyltin for effective fungicidal protection of Nordic class B impregnated windows for at least 20 years.


Keywords: ORGANOTIN COMPOUNDS; EVAPORATION; DEGRADATION; PERMANENCE; TBTN; TBTO; DEPLETION RATES; DURABILITY; STABILITY

Conference: 84-05-28...06-01 Ronneby Brunn, Sweden


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