Effect of incising on the long-term biodeterioration resistance of alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) treated wood

The aim of this study was to investigate whether making incising for injecting alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) into wood extends the wood’s biodeterioration resistance. The biodeterioration resistance was checked by comparing long-term residual ACQ in wood with a toxic threshold to fungi. The residual ACQ in wood was estimated by leaching ratios and a long-term emission model which was derived by leaching tests of full-sized ACQ treated wood. The initial retention and the amount of ACQ leached of incised specimens were higher than those of non-incised specimens. However, the initial retention had a larger impact on leaching ratio than amount of ACQ leached. As a result, the leaching ratios of incised specimens were lower than those of non-incised specimens. The results indicate that incised wood can be expected to have the biodeterioration resistance for a longer period of time than non-incised wood.