COMBINED EFFECTS OF COPPER AND OIL TREATMENT ON THE PROPERTIES OF SCOTS PINE WOOD

Abstract

Due to its toxic effect on fungi, for the last 50 years copper has been one of the most widely used materials in the impregnation industry. The ban on CCA (copper-chrome-arsenic), known as an effective deterrent against fungi and insects, has led to the development of new and environmentally-friendly alternatives. Copper-azole (CuA), which is one of the most widely used of the newly-developed materials, is very effective against fungi and insects. However, one of its most serious problems is the fact that copper is leached from the wood. Various factors affect the leaching of copper from wood. One of the most important effects is the duration of fixation. In this study, samples impregnated with copper azole were exposed to a secondary impregnation process using tall oil and linseed oil 24 hours and 5 days, respectively, after the first impregnation. The effects of different fixation durations and oiled impregnation procedures on Scotch pine were investigated. For this purpose, biological, physical and chemical analyses of the wood were performed. Moreover, the amount of copper residual after leaching was also examined. According to the results obtained, it was observed that the duration of fixation had no significant effect on the physical properties, and that the linseed oil improved the physical properties of the wood. Through the copper and oil combination, an improvement in the physical and biological properties of the wood was observed, as well as a decrease in the amount of copper leached out.