The return of copper napthenate

[tHnNxs ro rHE efforts of Nisus

I. Corp.. Rockford. Tn., copper naphthenate is once again available as a wood preservative for pressure treated railroad ties, telephone poles, bridge timbers, and other industrial wood products.

"If the industry lost this product, it would immediately increase the use of non-wood alternatives and have a long-term detrimental effect on our industry and the environment," says Dr. Jeff Lloyd, vice president of research and development at the 22year-old company.

"We really don't have a replace- ment for copper naphthenate, " says president Kevin Kirkland. "It's one of the safest and most effective treatment solutions available for ground contact wood preservation."

Nisus' quest to save copper naphthenate began early last year, when Merichem Co., Houston, Tx., declined to re-register the chemical with the EPA and discontinued production of its CuNap-8. At the time, most plants and customers were expected to switch to pentachlorophenol-even though copper naphthenate is a general use preservative and pentachlorophenol is registered for restricted use.

Once Nisus decided that copper naphthenate would be a natural addition to its wood preservation division, Lloyd and Kirkland met with EPA officials who agreed to expedite Nisus' registration application, which was approved in August 2011.

"Normally, the registration process takes a minimum of six months. but in this case, the EPA got it done in just six weeks without lowering any standards," says Kirkland. "You always hear stories about inefficient government or government that gets in the way of business, but in our small corner of the world, EPA got it done!"

One month after receiving EPA approval , Nisus produced its first batch of copper naphthenate-with the brand name of QNap-in a leased facility located in Dalton, Ga. By the following month, construction had started on a new 10,000-sq. ft. production plant in Rockford, Tn., which is scheduled to begin operations this montn.

Wheeler Lumber's treated wood division uses copper naphtenate to service all its markets-cvcn fcncc posts and landscape timbers. Afier a 2003 fire destroyed its wood-treating facility in Whitewood, S.D., the company rebuilt and switched from three different chemicals to just one: CuNap-8 from Merichem.

"lt's a very clean product-no odor. not photo-toxic." says vice president Jeff Parrett. "It's the only nonrcstricted. oil-based preservative on the milrket. s() customers are getting the benefits of an oil-based treatment that helps lubricate the wood cells and prevent swelling and checking."

After Merichem stopped producing CuNap-8, Wheeler looked to Nisus. "We were very upsct that the product was going away," says Parrett. "We had just enough to fill orders until Nisus shipped ncw product, so we didn't have to return to other chemicals and possibly lose some of our customers."