Abstract: A process is provided herein for extracting organic toxic contaminants including pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, from wood, e.g., utility poles, fence posts, or railway ties. The process comprises extracting the wood with a supercritical fluid in conjunction with an entrainer having wood swelling properties and an agent to break the hydrogen bond between the organic toxic contaminants and the wood, at conventional supercritical fluid extraction temperatures and pressures. The process is further improved by exposing, either in a slurry of the wood phase, or in a liquid phase resulting from such extraction, the contaminants to UV, e.g., sunlight, in the presence of a photosensitizer. The present invention also provides for the photodegradation of a solution of organic toxic chemicals including pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, by exposing such solution to UV, e.g.

Abstract: A process is provided herein for extracting organic toxic contaminants including pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, from wood, e.g., utility poles, fence posts, or railway ties. The process comprises extracting the wood with a supercritical fluid in conjunction with an entrainer having wood swelling properties and an agent to break the hydrogen bond between the organic toxic contaminants and the wood, at conventional supercritical fluid extraction temperatures and pressures. The process is further improved by exposing, either in a slurry of the wood phase, or in a liquid phase resulting from such extraction, the contaminants to UV, e.g., sunlight, in the presence of a photosensitizer. The present invention also provides for the photodegradation of a solution of organic toxic chemicals including pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, by exposing such solution to UV, e.g.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for accelerating the fixation of chromated-copper-arsenate (CCA) preservative in wooden articles. The invention particularly pertains to a process of fixing CCA in softwoods such as lodgepole pine, so that it does not leach. A process of fixing chromated-preservatives in freshly treated wood by applying moderate heat to the treated wood while initially maintaining the treated wood in a highly humid or saturated atmosphere, and subsequently maintaining the atmosphere about the freshly treated wood at a controlled equilibrium moisture content level.

Abstract: A multihead incisor for incising at least two sides of lumber or timber and in one pass produces a higher incision density than can be achieved without two or more passes on existing single roll incisors. The incisor comprises at least two sets of incisor rolls, each set having two or more rolls spaced apart in one plane representing a side of a piece of lumber or timber moving in the one plane, a first incisor roll in each set having incising teeth positioned to make a pattern of incisions in the one plane, a second incisor roll in each set, downstream of the first incisor roll, positioned to make a second pattern of incisions over the first pattern of incisions in the one plane, and a system to synchronize rotation of the first and second incisor rolls in each set to ensure combination of the first and second patterns of incisions is to a predetermined final pattern of closely spaced apart incisions on at least two sides of a piece of lumber or timber.