Article and method for wood preservation

Abstract

An article and method for treating wood to promote preservation and inhibit fungi and bacteria attack, comprising the wood treated with a polymer with pendant groups containing pyridine rings complexed with copper. Treatment can include impregnating the wood through pressure, vacuum, soaking or other means or more superficial applications to the wood surface through brushing, painting, dipping or the like. Preferred are one-step and two-step procedures with poly-4-vinylpyridine as the polymer of choice and copper chloride or copper sulfate as the preferred copper ion source. Treatment can be with the monomer or homopolymer form, followed by polymerization and/or cross-linking in situ in the wood after application.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.