Recent Trends in Wood Preservation Research

John A Butcher
Ministry of Forestry Forest Research Institute, Wood Technology Division, Rotorua,
New Zealand

ABSTRACT

A generic review of literature was undertaken to establish the broad

changes in research emphasis in wood preservation between 1980 and
1987. An analysis ofworld literature showed no major changes over this
time. In contrast, the selective papers of the International Research
Group on Wood Preservation displayed increasing emphasis on wood
preservative systems. Possible future trends in processing and preservation
systems are briejly discussed with reference to application systems for
antisapstain chemicals, Just-in-time' processing, boron-based
preservatives, and chemical wood modification.

INTRODUCTION

In 1980, a symposium on 'Wood preservation from around the world'

(American Wood Preservers' Association, 1980) addressed the current
status, recent highlights and future possibilities of research by reference
to ten countries.
At that time considerable research effort was focused on the problem
of soft-rot control in CCA-treated hardwoods, both at the fundamental
and applied level. Concern about environmental and health hazards of
wood preservation had resulted in increased attention on the development
of new (third-generation) wood preservatives, antisapstain chemicals,
and insecticides. Test procedures to evaluate candidate fungicides and
insecticides were being developed with the aim of allowing more precise
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© Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd 1988
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predictions of field performance. Many other topics were covered, most

of which displayed the regional problems and interests of the wood
preservation industry.
Butcher (1983), in examining future international trends in wood
preservation research, selected four topics for discussion:
- understanding the ecosystem of wood in soil contact;
- wood-preservative interactions;
-alternative chemicals for wood protection;
-prediction of preservative performance and residual service life in
treated commodities.
These four topics were selected to represent areas of research expected to
receive greater attention over the next decade. The validity of these
predictions will be discussed later.

BROAD TRENDS 1980-87

The collected documents of the International Research Group on Wood

Preservation (lRG) provide one data base for examining broad trends in
research. The IRG is a very active organisation currently having a
personal membership of 356 scientists from 58 countries. Documents
tend to report research in progress, and can be interpreted as providing a
progressive record of current research activity from around the world.
Table 1 summarises research emphasis in some broad areas between the
years 1980-87 inclusive.
An analysis of these data allows the following broad conclusions:
(1) Fundamental studies on organisms appear to be maintaining a
constant level of activity, but no longer represent the major
research activity of IRG. Minor trends were:
-increasing interest in bacteria since 1983;
- a decline in research on dry wood insects in favour of
termites;
-a continuing decline in marine organisms research;
- a recent increase in studies of decay mechanisms.
(2) There has been a very large increase in research on preservatives,
especially concerned with fundamental studies on CCA, organo-
tin preservatives, and development of alterna~ive preservative
systems.
(3) Research on sap stain control has shown a steady increase that is
being maintained.