Contact: Maridith Geuder
The latest information about wood decay and its prevention are the subjects of a new reference book co-edited by two Mississippi State faculty members.
"Wood Deterioration and Preservation: Advances in Our Changing World" is the culmination of two years' work by university forest products professors Darrel D. Nicholas and Tor P. Schultz, along with University of Maine colleague Barry Goodell.
Published by Oxford University Press and the American Chemical Society, the guide provides more than 400 pages of expertise from around the world, as well as an overview of current knowledge about wood degradation processes. New developments in the rapidly changing field of wood protection also are covered.
Both doctoral graduates of North Carolina State University, Nicholas and Schultz have earned wide recognition for their work in wood protection. They jointly hold five patents for work in synergistic and enhanced wood preservative compositions.
"In anticipation of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ban on chromated copper arsenate, we have conducted a number of projects to develop environmentally-friendly wood preservatives that ensure both durable and safe lumber," said Schultz, whose specialty is wood chemistry and wood preservation.
A mixture of three chemicals, CCA, as it's commonly known, is used widely to protect wood from fungal decay and insect attack. Last year, EPA ruled that CCA-treated lumber cannot be used after Dec. 30 of this year for products in residential settings. Play structures, picnic tables, decks, and fences are among the affected items.
Goodell, a professor of wood science and technology, works at Maine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center.
For more information, contact Schultz at (662) 325-3136 or tschultz@cfr.msstate.edu.