Tannin resin-boron associations: Leaching and biological resistance

The easy leaching of boron in wood preservation formulations has allowed to use this fungicide only for short term applications. The recently discovered adduct with flavonoids allows boron to resist longer periods of time within wood and consequently extend its life. Two different leaching treatments were compared and the fungal and termite decay was examined. The biological tests have shown extremely high resistance of the leached samples against both, fungus (Coriolus versicolor and Coniophora puteana). The resistance towards termites (Reticulitermes flavipes ex. santonensis) was also evaluated. A threshold concentration for the efficacy of boron as wood preservative was determined. Furthermore, the solid state 13C-NMR analysis of the tannin resin has permitted to prove the anchorage of boron to flavonoids. (Résumé d'auteur