Concepts in the development of new accelerated test methods for wood decay

Abstract

Efforts to develop new environmentally friendly wood preservatives are seriously handicapped by the extended time period required to carry out the evaluation needed to establish confidence in the long term performance of new preservative systems. Studies in our laboratory have shown that using strength loss as a measure of the extent of wood decay makes it possible to detect the early stages of decay that results from non-enzymatic reactions. We have developed specialized equipment and techniques that have applications for both above ground and soil contact preservative systems. By coupling these evaluation techniques with a better understanding of moisture control, microbial succession, soil chemistry and soil microbial dynamics, it may be possible to develop improved test methods that can greatly reduce the time required to evaluate wood preservative systems. © 2003 American Chemical Society.