BULLETIN OF THE 



BfPiMNJQFAfl 



No. 145 



Contribution from the Forest Service, Henry S. Graves, Forester 

 April 12, 1915. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 



TESTS OF WOOD PRESERVATIVES. 



By Howard F. Weiss, Director, and C. H. Teesdale, In Charge of Wood Preservation, 

 Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis. 



INTRODUCTION. 



A list of the various substances that have been used or suggested 

 for preserving timber from decay would include a surprisingly large 

 number of those known to industrial chemistry. By-products for 

 which no use could be found have often taken their last stand as 

 possible preservatives of wood. There have been sent to the Forest 

 Products Laboratory for test the condensed fumes of smelters, the 

 waste liquors of pulp plants, the refuse of tanneries, the skimmed 

 milk of creameries, and miscellaneous assortments of compounds 

 under trade names. Many of these have not been tested, because the 

 claims made for them were manifestly impracticable. Those, how- 

 ever, which showed some promise or about which numerous inquiries 

 were received were admitted to test. 



The object of the tests, which were carried on at the Forest Prod- 

 ucts Laboratory maintained in cooperation with the University of 

 Wisconsin, was to secure data on the practical value of these com- 

 pounds and chemicals as wood preservatives. More than this, how- 

 ever, it was thought that such an investigation would show clearly 



1 The following members of the Forest Products Laboratory performed the experiments herein described: 

 Ernest Bateman, chemist in forest products; C. J. Humphrey, pathologist, Bureau of Plant Industry; 

 Ruth Fleming, scientific assistant, Bureau of Plant Industry; Robert E. Prince, assistant engineer in 

 forest products. 



Acknowledgment is also made to Ira H. Woolson, consulting engineer, the National Board of Fire 

 Underwriters, for valuable assistance in the inflammability tests, and to the following cooperators, who 

 furnished some of the preservatives used: United Gas Improvement Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; Bruno- 

 Grosch & Co., New York City; Carbolineum Wood Preserving Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; C. A.Wood Pre- 

 server Co., St. Louis, Mo.; Marden, Orth & Hastings, Boston, Mass.; Logged-Off Land Utilization Co., 

 Seattle, Wash.; Lake Superior Iron & Chemical Co., Detroit, Mich.; Spirittine Chemical Co., Wilming- 

 ton, N. C; Materials Preserving Co., Burlington, Vt.; Atlantic Turpentine & Refining Co., Savannah, 

 Ga.; Indian Refining Co., New York City; Copper Oil Products Co., New York City; Balaklalla Consoli- 

 dated Copper Co., Coram, Cal.; Franz Workman, Scotland (representing Messrs. Bruening & Marmet- 

 schke); John M. Long, Winston, Va.; Philadelphia Quartz Co., Chester, Pa.; Blagden, Waugh & Co., 

 London, England. 



58293°— Bull. 146—15 1 



