High retention wood preservative composition

Abstract

A wood preservative composition having deep penetration capability, leaving a clean surface and imparting high retention of active preservative within the wood, which consists primarily of (a) an organic wood preservative agent, (b) a hydrophobic agent, and (c) small amounts of an amorphous vinylic-type polymer, in a penetrating organic solvent. The preservative may be pentachlorophenol, an oxathiin compound or other preservative preferably of low mammalian toxicity. The hydrophobic agent may be fatty acids and their esters, fatty alcohols and paraffin waxes. The amorphous polymer may be a polystyrene, a polymethylmethacrylate, a polyvinylformal, an atactic polypropylene or other such amorphous polymer. The penetrating solvent may be most suitably chloroform, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene or liquefied petroleum gas, although others may be used. Solutions suitable for deep penetration pressure treatment are preferred. The active preservative penetrates and becomes immobilized within the penetrated wood microstructure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.