Price of copper weighs down treated wood

ably less expensive than composites, plastics, and tropical hardwoods, and it has environmental advantages."

He also does not expect chemical companies to abandon copper. Smart Sense, the latest new product from Osmose, for example, is also copperbased, as is that of PhibroTech.

Merichem Chemicals & Refinery Services just received AWPA approval for waterborne copper naphthenate, which offers low corrosion, similar pricing to ACQ and CA, and can treat West Coast refractory species without ammonia.

That said. Arch. Osmose and CSl-through its planned merger (see page 32)-all intend to introduce new organic-based preservatives next year.

"The search for new. better. and more economical treatments has been an ongoing effort," DeVenzio said. "It is possible that the price of copper will spur the effort somewhat, but further research would happen in any case. Our competitive climate sees to that. Arch Wood Protection wants to provide an advantage to the treating companies that buy from us."

With CCA now prohibited from residential applications, experts do not expect the return of a single preservative that dominates a broad range of applications. "Instead," suggests Dick Jackson, Pacific Wood Preserving Cos., Bakersfield, Ca., "there will be several products available for different applications. The products that contain the least amount of metal-or none at all-and other potentially environmentally challenging preservative components will be looked upon more favorably. However, cost, corrosion attributes and efficacy also play big roles, so it is unclear just which preservatives will be chosen by producers, retailers and/or consumers as the'next generation."'