**Peroxide Post-Treatment of Wood Impregnated with Micronized Basic Copper Carbonate**

#### **Rod Stirling 1,\*, Gabrielle Boivin 2, Adnan Uzunovic 1, Stacey Kus 1 and John N. R. Ruddick 3**


Received: 25 November 2020; Accepted: 10 December 2020; Published: 12 December 2020

**Abstract:** Wood is vulnerable to significant color changes when used in exterior applications. Some copper-based wood preservatives use colorants to minimize this color change. This paper examines the ability of a peroxide post-treatment to turn wood impregnated with micronized basic copper carbonate (CuCO3·Cu(OH)2) (MBCC) a stable brown color. MBCC-treated wood, with and without peroxide post-treatment, along with associated controls were evaluated for color change, erosion and black-stain fungal resistance after exposure to artificial photo-degradation. The impact of the peroxide treatment on copper leaching was assessed in a laboratory experiment, and the impact on copper reactivity was assessed by electron parametric resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Peroxide post-treatment of wood pressure impregnated with MBCC was shown to reduce color change by more than 50% compared to controls. Erosion due to photo-degradation and colonization by black-stain fungi were lower in samples treated with MBCC than in untreated controls and were relatively unaffected by peroxide post-treatment. The peroxide post-treatment was associated with increased amounts of mobile copper. This led to increased susceptibility to leaching and to a more than 60% increase in the amount of copper than had reacted with the wood.

**Keywords:** leaching; micronized basic copper carbonate; peroxide; surface protection; weathering; wood
