PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT OF TASMANIAN PLANTATION EUCALYPTUS NITENS USING SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS

Authors

  • K.C. Wood University of Tasmania
  • A.W. Kjellow
  • M.J. Konkler
  • G. Presley
  • J.J. Morrell

Abstract

Short rotation plantation forests in Tasmania, Australia, are dominated by Eucalyptus nitens (common name: shining gum). These forests were primarily planted to provide material for pulp and paper production, but the timber is increasingly sought after for higher value and more enduring applications. Plantation E. nitens has a high proportion of low durability heartwood that resists penetration by conventional fluid preservatives. This limits its use to indoor applications. One approach to overcoming the refractory nature of E. nitens is to modify the treatment fluid. We investigated the use of supercritical carbon dioxide to deliver biocides deep into the wood. Timbers varying in thickness from 19 to 35 mm and 900 mm long were treated with a multicomponent biocide under supercritical conditions in a commercial facility in Denmark. The resulting timber was cut into zones inward from the surface. Wood from these zones was ground and extracted for HPLC analysis for tebuconazole and propiconazole. Preservative was detected in the inner portion of every sample examined, indicating that the process resulted in treatment throughout the boards, with concentrations meeting and on average exceeding the targeted amounts.

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Published

2023-08-16

Issue

Vol. 55 No. 1 (2023): Wood and Fiber Science

Section

Research Contributions

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