Composite wood product, methods for manufacturing the same and methods for determining organic biocide concentration in a composite wood product

Abstract

A composite wood product and methods for manufacturing the same and determining the concentration and distribution of an organic biocide within a composite wood product are provided. The organic biocide may be added to wood elements (i.e., fibers, flakes, strands, veneers) prior to consolidation and/or heating of the wood particles to form the composite wood product. A tracer additive may be mixed with the biocide, or applied separately to the furnish which is used to produce the composite wood product. The tracer additive may be detected via, for example, x-ray fluorescence. An amount of tracer additive detected may correlate to an amount of organic biocide within the wood elements and/or the composite wood product.

1 . A composite wood product comprising: 
 a plurality of wood particles;    a resin applied to the wood particles enabling adhesion between the wood particles;    a biocide applied to the wood particles; and    an additive applied to the wood particles wherein the additive is detectable when the composite wood product is subject to an x-ray fluorescence analysis and wherein an amount of additive detected can be correlated to an amount of biocide within the composite wood product.    
   
   
       2 . The composite wood product of  claim 1  being selected from a group consisting of: oriented strand board, laminated strand lumber, laminated veneer lumber, parallel strand lumber, plywood, particle board, fiber board and crushed long-fiber lumber.  
   
   
       3 . The composite wood product of  claim 1  wherein the biocide is selected from a group consisting of: a synthetic pyrethroid, a triazole, a nicotinoid and a fiprole.  
   
   
       4 . The composite wood product of  claim 1  wherein the additive contains an element having an atomic weight greater than or equal to ten.  
   
   
       5 . The composite wood product of  claim 1  wherein the additive is selected from a group consisting of: zinc, barium and calcium.  
   
   
       6 . The composite wood product of  claim 1  wherein the wood particles are selected from a group consisting of: flour, fibers, fiber bundles, flakes, chips, wafers, veneers and strands.  
   
   
       7 . A method for making a composite wood product comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of wood particles;    applying a resin to the wood particles enabling adhesion between the wood particles;    applying a biocide and a tracer additive to the wood particles wherein the tracer additive is detectable when the composite wood product is subject to x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and wherein an amount of tracer additive detected can be correlated to an amount of biocide within the composite wood product; and    heating and pressing the plurality of wood particles to form the composite wood product.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the composite wood product is selected from a group consisting of: oriented strand board, laminated strand lumber, laminated veneer lumber, parallel strand lumber, plywood, particle board, fiber board and crushed long-fiber lumber.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the biocide is selected from a group consisting of a synthetic pyrethroid, a triazole, a nicotinoid and a fiprole.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the additive contains an element having an atomic weight greater than or equal to ten.  
   
   
       11 . A method for determining a concentration of an organic biocide within a plurality of wood particles, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing the plurality of wood particles;    applying an organic biocide to the plurality of wood particles;    applying an additive to the plurality of wood particles wherein the additive is detectable when the plurality of wood particles is subject to an x-ray fluorescence analysis;    subjecting the wood particles to an x-ray fluorescence analysis;    measuring an amount of the additive detected within the plurality of wood particles; and    correlating the amount of the additive detected to an amount of the organic biocide within the plurality of wood particles.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the additive contains an element having an atomic weight greater than or equal to ten.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the biocide is selected from a group consisting of: a synthetic pyrethroid, a triazole, a nicotinoid and a fiprole.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the particles are selected from a group consisting of: flour, fibers, fiber bundles, flakes, chips, wafers, veneers and strands.