llfhat's llext

The Return of RCC

As CCA was being voluntarily removed from the market, chemical engineer Dennis Morgan was concerned about the cost, mold, corrosion and leaching potential of the coming copper-based preservatives.

He founded Forest Products Research Laboratory in Springfield, Or., to evaluate other alternatives. Weighing chemicals' cost effectiveness, environmental acceptability, corrosion inhibition, and history of safety, efficacy and customer appeal, his research pointed to acid copper chromate, or ACC.

ACC is neither new nor rare. It was developed in the 1920s and standardized by AWPA in the 1950s, but eventually fell out of general use due to CCA's lower cost. After the previous ACC producer withdrew its decades-old EPA registration, FPRL has spent the last three years and several million dollars to get the chemical reapproved.

After submitting the last of the studies requested by EPA on December 30, 2005, FPRL's Mike White predicts the EPA should give its final approval this summer. ACC-treated products would then begin entering the market about six to nine weeks thereafter. Most consumer products should be available,