Use of small volume cups in XRF analysis of treated wood retention

Efforts are underway in the United States to improve the conformance of commercially-treated wood with the applicable retention standards. As part of an effort to devise a practical method for on-site assessment of within-charge retention variation, we investigated whether small-volume x-ray fluorescence (XRF) sample cups could be used with treated wood. A range of cup sizes, preservative types, retention levels and other variables were considered. In general, small volume cups appear to be suitable for use with common industrial XRF machinery. This finding is being applied to a proposed modification to the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) standard.