The purpose of this study is to quantify the mobilized copper (II) levels in micronized copper treated wood using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Other than being physically deposited in wood as unreacted solid particles, micronized basic copper carbonate (BCC) also forms soluble copper which reacts with wood in aqueous treatment suspensions. The resultant copper complexes are similar to those formed between wood and copper sulphate. Conventional spectroscopic techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), cannot distinguish between the unreacted BCC and the chemically fixed copper, hence are not able to give accurate assessment on the mobilized copper level in the micronized copper treated wood. However the antiferromagnetic nature of the BCC itself makes the paramagnetic mobilized copper species the only visible component under EPR analysis. A correlation between EPR and XRF intensities on mobilized copper levels in a series of copper sulphate treated wood was created as a calibration standard. Laboratory treatments using micronized copper formulations at different concentrations were then carried out and monitored by EPR over 7 days. The mobile copper levels produced were visualized and quantified by comparing the EPR spectral intensities against the calibration standard. The influence of different sections of wood on the mobilized copper levels were also investigated. Furthermore, using this method the mobilized copper levels in the commercial micronized copper treated wood samples were quantified.

Quantification of mobilized copper (II) levels in micronized copper treated wood

245th National Meeting (2013)

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