Sapwood of hoop (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait. ex D. Don) and slash (Pinus elliottii Englem.) pines were treated by Vacuum Pressure Impregnation (VPI) to provide test specimens. The concentration of boron was defined by chemical analyses of the timber, in the zone of primary attack by the termite being bioassayed. A common method of definition of preservative retention, weight uptake of preservative fluid of known concentration, was compared to the chemical assay method for slash pine treatments. Analyses of gradient zones reflect the variable concentration of boron within test specimens. The test specimens were exposed to field termite colonies in a clear of ground completely protected from weather and wetting situation. Termite response was determined by mass loss over 5 weeks and modelled.

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