The performance of alkaline copper quat-type D (ACQ-D) treated Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.) and Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris Linn. var. mongolica Litv.) stakes after 20 months exposure in Chengdu and Guangzhou of southern China were evaluated according to AWPA standard E07-07. The ACQ-D treatments used two concentration levels (0.5 and 1.0%) and four different post-treatments (air drying for 1 month, conditioning at 70°C, 80% R.H. for 24h, oven drying at 110°C for 24h, boiling in water for 15h), respectively. The field test results showed that the natural durability of Chinese fir is a little better than Mongolian Scots pine but the untreated sapwood stakes of both wood species were mostly destroyed after 20 months exposure. After ACQ-D treatment, the sapwood of both wood species showed much better biological performance. Among the four post-treatments, the oven drying method (OD) rated the worst by showing slight reduction in biological performance and the most obvious reduction in compression strength after exposure, while the other three post-treatments performed similarly. It suggested that both post-treatments of HC (conditioning in humidity chamber) and HW (hot water bath) could be good selections for accelerating copper fixation in ACQ-D treated wood. And also, Chinese fir from plantation forests could be a potential wood species for preservation.

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