Wood Preservation Based on In situ Polymerization of Bioactive Monomers. Part 2. Fungal Resistance and Thermal Properties of Treated Wood

Summary

This paper is the second in a two-part series on in situ polymerization of bioactive monomers as an alternative to conventional preservative treatments. In this part of the study, bioactive monomers were evaluated for their ability to provide resistance to decay and protection against fire. Five bioactive monomers were synthesized: (1) pentachlorophenolyl acrylate (PCPA), (2) tributyltin acrylate (TBTA), (3) 8-hydroxyquinolyl acrylate (HQA), (4) 5,7-dibromo-8-hydroxyquinolyl acrylate (DBHQA), and (5) diethyl-N₁N-bis (acryloxyethyl) aminomethyl phosphonate (Fyrol 6 acrylate, F6A). Southern pine sapwood samples were treated with acrylate solutions at different retention levels and with various amounts of crosslinker (trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, TMPTM), then polymerized in situ. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was used as the control. Biological resistance to the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum was determined on acetone-leached and unleached samples. PCPA showed some biological efficacy in the absence of crosslinker, but otherwise provided no more protection than did MMA alone.

TBTA was biologically effective at all retention levels except with crosslinker concentration ≥10 %. HQA was biologically effective at ≥ 2% retention. F6A was not biologically effective, although unleached wood treated with 10% F6A and 5% or no crosslinker showed some resistance to decay. The 5% DBHQA plus 5% crosslinker treatment was biologically effective in both leached and unleached wood. The effects of the highest treatment level of each monomer, after polymerization, were also evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. All treatments provided some resistance to fire. The best treatment was 10 % F6A, which resulted in the lowest mass loss (67.0 %) and the lowest maximum temperature of pyrolysis (308.5 °C).