Decay resistance and mechanical strength of poplar wood treated after injection treatment to living trees using ammoniacal copper quaternary/carbon dots

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a cutting-edge wood preservation technology, injection treatment to living trees has gained traction to prevent fungal infestation. Wood preservatives are injected into the lower part of the trunk and subsequently transported with xylem sap through transpiration. In this experiment, the waterborne wood preservative was synthesized by Ammoniacal Copper Quaternary (ACQ) and carbon dots (CDs), and its characteristics were determined. The distribution, loading capacity, and decay resistance of ACQ/CDs at different heights of the living poplar trees after the treatment were examined. Meanwhile, the effects of three methods, i.e. injection treatment, immersion treatment, and pressure treatment on the decay resistance and mechanical properties of the treated wood were explored. The results showed that the wood preservative penetrated well into the xylem after the injection treatment. The wood at different heights after the injection treatment had good decay resistance. The decay resistance diminished with the rise in tree height, attributable to variations in the timing of the preservative reaching different levels within the tree. When compared with the immersion and pressure treatments, the injection treatment can effectively reduce the influence of long-term preservative soaking and pressure application on the mechanical properties of the treated wood, while upholding commendable decay resistance.