AgCenter scientists have discovered a new ash-based wood treatment to reduce water penetration and movement in wood and prevent boron leaching. This invention adds small fillings into the void spaces in wood, trapping the boron inside the wood and keeping wood-degrading organisms out of it. Unlike many treatments, this can be used with wood for exterior construction like decking and fencing.
A new type of nanostructure has been discovered that greatly increases wood’s resistance to water-related damage. The nanostructure makes any water that contacts wood to bead up and roll off the surface as opposed to seeping into it. By strengthening wood at the cellular level, this nanostructure will also protect wood from UV damage, weathering and fungi.
LSU AgCenter scientists have discovered a new way to detoxify and recycle chromate copper arsenate-treated wood. This technique removes the CCA from the wood, allowing both to be used again for other purposes, such as the production of polymer materials and chemicals. The process is fast, requires few materials and removes more total chemicals than other methods currently available.
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture