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Chemical migration and redistribution of chromated copper arsenate CCA components in Eucalyptus nitens heartwood under accelerated weathering966.13 kB
Published Version (Advanced Access)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Chemical migration and redistribution of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) components in Eucalyptus nitens heartwood under accelerated weathering
Wood Material Science and Engineering, Vol.Advanced access
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) remains a globally significant wood preservative, though its use has declined in regions like Europe due to regulatory restrictions. Its effectiveness relies on chromium binding with wood fibres, reducing the leachability of copper and arsenic. However, when wetted, low levels of CCA components remain mobile, potentially inhibiting fungal growth in untreated wood exposed through surface checks. This mechanism has been observed in softwoods treated with shallow preservative barriers, particularly in North American conifers such as spruce, pine, and fir, which have relatively permeable sapwood. To determine if similar protective benefits occur in hardwoods, this study examined CCA migration in Eucalyptus nitens under ten repeated wet/dry cycles simulating outdoor exposure. Arsenic exhibited the highest leaching rate, with 51.9% lost, while copper and chromium were more stable, with 16.9% and 4.2% leached, respectively. Peak leaching occurred within the first three cycles before stabilising. Despite this, metal concentrations in untreated check surfaces remained extremely low and did not significantly increase after weathering, indicating that CCA migration in refractory hardwoods is insufficient for secondary protection. These findings suggest that alternative treatment strategies, such as deeper preservative penetration or modified formulations, may be necessary to enhance E. nitens durability in above-ground applications.
Details
- Title
- Chemical migration and redistribution of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) components in Eucalyptus nitens heartwood under accelerated weathering
- Authors
- Juan Roberto Vargas (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, National Centre for Timber Durability and Design LifeLuis Yerman - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, National Centre for Timber Durability and Design LifeKyra C. Wood - University of TasmaniaTripti Singh - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life
- Publication details
- Wood Material Science and Engineering, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- DOI
- 10.1080/17480272.2025.2482895
- ISSN
- 1748-0280; 1748-0272
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Organisation Unit
- National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991122004702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
10 Record Views
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Materials Science, Paper & Wood