Silver News
Silver-Based Biocide Research Program
Ready to Go
A research program to evaluate silver-based biocides for wood preservation is being initiated at Florida
International University in Miami under the direction of Jeffrey Ellis and K. Jayachandran. The project is sponsored by the International Lead Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO) in Triangle Park, North Carolina.
“We are taking commercial materials and doing preliminary lab testing on them as a wood preservative,” says Ellis. “We’re testing them in soil, water and air.” The silver-based chemicals are being pitted against current wood
preservative chemicals, mainly those containing arsenic and other non-silver-based materials.
So far, Ellis has received 12 chemicals for testing from 8 companies worldwide for the one-year program. Each supplier will receive a confidential report on how well their chemical performed. The results will not be shared with other suppliers’ products, but Ellis plans to publish his findings (without identifying suppliers) in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Ellis is still seeking participants for the project slated to begin August 1. “We want materials that are known to be stable,” he notes. “The main criteria is that they contain silver.”
For details, contact Jeffrey Ellis at 954-915-8586 or fax at 954-382-8213.
Silver News - Third Quarter 2003
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