The relationship between copper absorption and density distribution in wood cell walls was investigated in this study. The density distribution on layer level was obtained from two approaches: (1) calculation by using data obtained from literature; (2) microdistribution of carbon and oxygen atoms in the wood cell. The microdistribution of carbon and oxygen in untreated southern yellow pine (Pinus spp.) sapwood, as well as copper in cell walls of copper-ethanolamine (Cu-EA) treated wood was determined by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (SEM-EDXA). Both approaches for density distribution led to the same result: the density was higher in the compound middle lamella (ML) and cell corners (CC) than in the secondary wall. The concentration / intensity of Cu, C and O in the cell wall follow the same trend as the density distribution; suggesting that density may play a major role in SEM-EDXA study of the distribution of metal-containing wood preservatives within the wood cell wall.

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