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Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA):
Copper Azole - An Alternative to CCA
CCA Table of Contents
Description and Formulations of Copper Azole
Copper Azole is a water-based wood preservative that prevents fungal decay and insect attack; it is a fungicide and insecticide. There are two types of Copper Azole: A (CBA-A), and B (CA-B). Copper azole wood preservative is used for treating a variety of softwood species including southern pine, red pine, ponderosa pine, hem-fir and Douglas fir.
- CBA-A: Copper Boron Azole type A was standardized by the American Wood-Preservers' Association (AWPA)1 in 1995 and contains the following ingredients: copper (49%), boron as boric acid (49%), and azole as tebuconazole (2%). Wood treated with CBA-A has a greenish-brown color and little or no odor. The use of CBA-A has been generally supplanted by the newer CA-B product.
- CA-B: Copper Azole type B was standardized by the AWPA in 2002 and is composed of copper (96.1%) and azole as tebuconazole (3.9%). Wood treated with CA-B has a greenish-brown color and little or no odor. CA-B is in widespread use throughout the United States and Canada.
Applications of Copper Azole
Water-based preservatives like copper azole leave wood with a clean, paintable surface after they dry. Copper Azole is registered for treatment of millwork, shingles & shakes, siding, plywood, structural lumber, fence posts, building and utility poles, land and freshwater piling, composites, and other wood products that are used in above-ground, ground contact and fresh water as well as in salt water splash (marine) decking applications.
1 The American Wood-Preservers' Association (AWPA) is the primary standard-setting body for pressure-treated wood. To become standardized by the AWPA, preservative-treated wood must undergo a series of rigorous tests to ensure its durability.