Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of micronized copper treatments on retention, strength properties, copper leaching and decay resistance of plantation grown Melia dubia Cav. wood

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Wood and Wood Products Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Due to the health and environmental concerns, residential usage of copper chrome arsenate (CCA) and similar other heavy metal-based wood preservatives has been restricted in many countries. Waterborne micronized copper formulations of micron-sized particles containing copper- and some biocides are being used on commercial scale to improve the biological durability of various nondurable timber species. In the present work, different concentrations of micronized copper azole (MCA) were used to vacuum-pressure treat the plantation grown non-durable Melia dubia Cav. sapwood. The same species was also treated with CCA and water to be able to compare the efficacy of the treatments. Effect of impregnation of different MCA concentrations (0.5–2.0%) on the retention, density, water uptake, mechanical properties and decay resistance of M. dubia wood against brown and white rot fungi was evaluated. Copper leaching tests were carried out following American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) standards (E11) and the amount of copper leached from treated wood was analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The amount of copper retention in treated wood increased with increasing MCA concentration. The density of treated wood was slightly increased with MCA concentration due to the increased amount of preservative absorbed, while most of the strength properties of wood treated with MCA were found either comparable to control or slightly reduced. Micron- to nano-sized copper-containing particles were observed on cross-section and in the cell lumens. The numbers of particles observed on wood surfaces increased with the MCA concentrations. The improved performance of micronized copper treated M. dubia suggested that MCA can be used as an alternative to CCA and similar precarious preservatives for extending the service life of non-durable timbers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig.11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Almeida TH, Ferro FS, Aquino VBM, Christoforo AL, Lahr FAR (2021) Particleboard produced with chromated copper arsenate- and borate-treated Caixeta wood: a technical feasibility study. Engenharia Agrícola, Jaboticabal 41(5):567–575. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4430-Eng.Agric.v41n5p567-575/2021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anon (1972) DIN 52176:1972–09. Testing of wood preservatives; determination of the preventive effects of wood preservatives, test with wood destroying basidiomycetes according to the wood block method in Kolle flasks. pp 4

  • Anon (1986) Indian standard specification for “Methods of testing small clear specimens”, IS:1708. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, pp 64

  • Anon (2008) Indian standard specification for "Methods of laboratory testing of wood preservatives against fungi and borers (powder post beetles): Part 1 Determination of threshold values of wood preservatives against fungi", IS: 4873. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, pp 9

  • Anon (2017) ICC Evaluation service, ESR-1721, ICC-ES evaluation report, “wolmanized outdoor preservative-treated wood”, Arch Treatment Technologies Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (USA), pp 7

  • Arantes V, Jellison J, Goodell B (2012) Peculiarities of brown-rot fungi and biochemical Fenton reaction with regard to their potential as a model for bioprocessing biomass. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 94:323–338

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Archer KJ (2007) Cell wall penetration of particulate copper wood preservative systems in southern pine. IRG38 Annual Meeting, May 20–24, Wyoming (USA), The International Research Group on Wood Protection. IRG Secretariat, Stockholm

  • Arsenault RD (1973) Factors influencing the effectiveness of preservative systems. In: Wood Deterioration and Its Prevention by Preservative Treatments. D.D. Nicholas (ed.). Vol. 2, Syracuse University Press, New York: 121–278

  • AWPA (2017) Standard method for accelerated evaluation of preservative leaching. E11. Book of Standards, American Wood Protection Association. Birmingham, AL, pp 624

  • Bak M, Nemeth R, Molnar F (2017) Effect of nanoparticles on the wood-water relations. ProLigno 13(4):308–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes HM, Lindsey GB, Hill JM, Pompeo M, Hodge R (2008) Bending properties of southern pine treated with micronized preservative systems. IRG39 Annual Meeting, Istanbul (Turkey), The International Research Group on Wood Protection. IRG Secretariat, Stockholm

  • Bowyer JL, Shmulsky R, Haygreen JG (2007) Forest products and wood science: an introduction, 5th edn. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa, p 576

    Google Scholar 

  • Chudnoff M (1984) Tropical Timbers of the World. Agricultural Handbook 607.USDA Forest Service, Washington DC, pp 466

  • Civardi C, Schubert M, Fey A, Wick P, Schwarze FWMR (2015a) Micronized copper wood preservatives: efficacy of ion, nano, and bulk copper against the brown rot fungus Rhodonia placenta. PLoS ONE 10(11):e0142578. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0142578

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Civardi C, Schwarze FWMR, Wick P (2015b) Micronized copper wood preservatives: an efficiency and potential health risk assessment for copper-based nanoparticles. Environ Pollution 200:126–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Civardi C, Van den Bulcke J, Schubert M, Michel E, Butron MI, Boone MN, Dierick M, Acker JV, Wick P, Schwarze FWMR (2016) Penetration and effectiveness of micronized copper in refractory wood species. PLoS ONE 11 (9): e0163124 (pp 1-14)

  • Clausen CA, Green F (2003) Oxalic acid overproduction by copper-tolerant brown-rot basidiomycetes on southern yellow pine treated with copper-based preservatives. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 51(2):139-144

  • Cooper PA (1991) Cation exchange adsorption of copper on wood. Wood Protection 1(1):9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • FPL (2000) Environmental impact of preservative treated wood in a wetland boardwalk: Res Pap FPL-RP-582, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, pp 126

  • Freeman MH, McIntyre CR (2008) A comprehensive review of copper based wood preservatives with a focus on new micronized or dispersed copper systems. Forest Prod J 58(11):6–27

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Green III F, Schultz TP (2003) New environmentally‐benign concepts in wood protection: the combination of organic biocides and non-biocidal additives. In: Wood deterioration and preservation advances in our changing world. Goodell B, Nicholas DD, Schultz TP. ACS symposium series 845, pp 482

  • Hale MD, Eaton RA (1986) Soft-rot cavity formation in live preservative-treated hardwood species. Trans Br Mycol Soc 86:585–590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hastrup ACS, Green F, Clausen C, Jensen B (2005) Tolerance of Serpula lacrymans to copper-based wood preservatives. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 56:173–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hastrup ACS, Green F, Lebow PK, Jensen B (2012) Enzymatic oxalic acid regulation correlated with wood degradation in four brown-rot fungi. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 75:109–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holy S, Temiz A, Demirel GK, Aslan M, Amini MHM (2020) Physical properties, thermal and fungal resistance of Scots pine wood treated with nano-clay and several metal-oxides nanoparticles. Wood Mater Sci Eng. https://doi.org/10.1080/17480272.2020.1836023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khademibami L, Bobadilha GS (2022) Recent developments studies on wood protection research in academia: a review. Front. For. Glob. Change 5:793177 (1–18 pp), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2022.793177

  • Kumar S, Kelkar BU, Mishra AK (2018) Variability in physical properties of plantation-grown progenies of Melia composita and determination of a kiln-drying schedule. J Forestry Res 29:1435–1442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lebow ST, Winandy J, Bender D (2004) Treated wood in transition: a look at CCA and the candidates to replace it. Wood Design Focus, Summer Issue: 4–8

  • Lebow ST, Tang JD, Kirker GT, Mankowski ME (2019) Guidelines for selection and use of pressure-treated wood. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-275, US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI (USA) pp 39

  • Lebow ST (2010) Wood preservation. Wood handbook: wood as an engineering material: chapter 15. Centennial Ed. General technical report FPL; GTR-190. Madison, WI: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory: 15.1–15.28

  • Lyngsie G, Krumina L, Tunlid A, Persson P (2018) Generation of hydroxyl radicals from reactions between a dimethoxyhydroquinone and iron oxide nanoparticles. Scientific Reports 8:10834 (pp 9), DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29075-5

  • Matsunaga H, Kiguchi M, Roth B, Evans PD (2008) Visualisation of metals in pine treated with preservative containing copper and iron nanoparticles. IAWA J 29:387–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsunaga H, Kiguchi M, Evans PD (2007) Micro-distribution of metals in wood treated with a ‘nano-copper’ wood preservative. IRG38 Annual Meeting, Wyoming (USA), The International Research Group on Wood Protection, Stockholm

  • Morrell JJ (2019) Protection of wood: a global perspective on the future. Sigma J Eng & Nat Sci 10(1):81–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Parthiban KT, Bharathi AKR, Seenivasan K, Rao MGK (2009) Integrating Melia dubia in agroforestry farms as an alternate pulpwood species. APA News 34:3–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Platten WE III, Luxton TP, Gerke T, Harmon S, Sylvest N, Bradham K, Rogers K (2014) Release of micronized copper particles from pressure-treated wood products. EPA Report No. 600/R-14/365, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USA), pp 56

  • Preston AF, Jin L (2005) Wood-chemical interactions and their effect on preservative performance (Book chapter), The Chemistry of Wood Preservation, Thompson R (Ed.), Woodhead Publishing, pp 88–100, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845698706.88

  • Preston A, Jin L, Nicholas D, Zahora A, Walcheski P, Archer K, Schultz T (2008) Field stake tests with copper-based preservatives. IRG39 Annual Meeting, Istanbul (Turkey), The International Research Group on Wood Protection. Stockholm

  • Ryan KG, Drysdale JA (1988) X-ray analysis of copper, chromium and arsenic within the cell walls of treated hardwoods - new evidence against the microdistribution theory. J Inst Wood Sci 11:108–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Saravanan V, Parthiban KT, Kumar P, Marimuthu P (2013) Wood characterization studies on Melia dubia Cav. for pulp and paper industry at different age gradation. Res J Recent Sci 2:183–188

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma SK, Shukla SR, Sethy AK (2019) Comparative studies of important wood quality parameters of Melia dubia Cav. of different age groups for finding their suitability in various applications. J Ind Acad Wood Sci 16(1):44–50

  • Shukla SR, Kamdem DP (2012) Effect of copper based preservatives treatment of the properties of southern pine LVL. Cons Build Mat 34:593–601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla SR, Kamdem DP (2020) Properties of red maple laminated veneer lumber impregnated with waterborne micronized and two soluble copper formulations. Wood Mater Sci Eng 15(2):64–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla SR, Zhang J, Kamdem DP (2019) Pressure treatment of Heavea brasiliensis (rubberwood) with waterborne micronized copper azole: effects on retention, copper leaching, decay resistance and mechanical properties. Cons Build Mat 2016:576–587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stirling R, Boivin G, Uzunovic A, Kus S, Ruddick JNR (2020) Peroxide post-treatment of wood impregnated with micronized basic copper carbonate. Coatings 10:1213–1227

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stirling R, Drummond J, Zhang J, Ziobro RJ (2008) Micro-distribution of micronized copper in southern pine. IRG39 Annual Meeting, Istanbul (Turkey), The International Research Group on Wood Protection. IRG Secretariat, Stockholm

  • Suprapti S, Djarwanto and Hudiansyah, (2004) The resistance of five wood species against several wood destroying fungi. J Peneli Hasil Hutan 22(4):239–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Systat (2006). SigmaStat ver 3.5 statistical software. Systat Software, Inc., San Jose (USA)

  • Teng TG, Arip MNM, Sudesh K, Nemoikina A, Jalaludin Z, Ng EP, Lee HL (2018) Conventional technology and nanotechnology in wood preservation: a review. BioResources 13(4):9220–9252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tripathi S, Kumar PP (2015) Treatability of Melia composita using vacuum pressure impregnation. Maderas-Cienc Tecnol 17(2):373–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Uday DN, Sujatha D, Pandey CN (2011) Suitability of Melia dubia (Malabar neem wood) for plywood manufacture. J Ind Acad Wood Sci 8(2):207–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winandy JE, Lebow PK (2001) Modeling strength loss in wood by chemical composition. Part I An individual component model for southern pine. Wood Fiber Sci 33(2): 239–254

  • Winandy JE (1995) Effects of waterborne preservative treatment on mechanical properties: A review. In: Proceedings of 91st Annual Meeting of AWPA, New York, May 21–24, Vol. 91, American Wood-Preservers' Association, Woodstock, Maryland: 17–33

  • Woodward B, De Groot R (1999) Tolerance of Wolfiporia cocos isolates to copper in agar media. Forest Prod J 49(4):87–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Zelinka SL, Kirker GT, Sterbinsky GE, Bourne KJ (2022) Oxidation states of copper in preservative treated wood as studied by X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). PLoS ONE 17(1):e0263073

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zelinka SL (2014) Corrosion of metals in wood products. Chapter 23 in “Developments in Corrosion Protection”, M. Aliofkhazraei (Ed.), InTech: 567–592

  • Zhang J, Ziobro RJ (2009a) Micronized copper preservative system: Observations on the release of cupric ion (Cu2+) from treated wood and performance against wood decay fungi. Document No: IRG/WP 09–30519. The International Research Group on Wood Protection, Stockholm, Sweden. pp. 1–17

  • Zhang J, Ziobro RJ (2009b) Laboratory and field studies on the efficacy of micronized copper azole (MCA) preservative. Canadian Wood Preservation Association, CWPA Proceedings: 69–75

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Director, IWST, Bengaluru for keen interest in the research work. Osmose Inc. USA is gratefully acknowledged for supplying the stock solution of micronized copper (MCA) wood preservative. Valuable help provided by Ms. N. Mamatha of Forest Protection Division, IWST in testing fungal decay resistance is duly acknowledged.

Funding

Authors thankfully acknowledge the financial support from Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun (India) under the research project titled “Effect of treatment with micronized copper preservative on the strength, treatability and durability of selected wood species (No: IWST/WPU/XI/113)”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Malleswaram, Bengaluru, 560003, India

    S. R. Shukla

  2. School of Packaging, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    D. P. Kamdem

Authors
  1. S. R. Shukla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. P. Kamdem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. R. Shukla.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest between the authors.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shukla, S.R., Kamdem, D.P. Effect of micronized copper treatments on retention, strength properties, copper leaching and decay resistance of plantation grown Melia dubia Cav. wood. Eur. J. Wood Prod. 81, 513–528 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-022-01889-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-022-01889-1

Search

Navigation