The use of aqueous water repellent emulsion formulations has increased significantly in the wood treatment industry. These products are primarily used to enhance the weathering characteristics of wood products treated with water borne preservatives systems used in exterior above ground applications. They are also used in pole treatments to improve climbing characteristics and in low VOC millwork treatments. With the increasing usage of such products. there has been a need to develop analytical methods for the determination of the water repellent in treated wood products to ensure product quality and to aid in the development of enhanced water repellent formulations. A method for the determination of the water repellent concentration in wood was developed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The wood samples were extracted and prepared for the FTIR scans using a liquid cell. The water repellent concentration was determined by using the intensity of the hydrocarbon C-H stretch adsorption. Methods for correcting or eliminating the interference from non-water repellent components in the wood extracts were developed.

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