Acetylation is an environmentally benign
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 7:01 am
It is a stable substrate for coatings and has good resistance to weathering,” says Roger Rowell, professor emeritus at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “These properties give the acetylated wood a much longer usable lifespan without the use of toxic preservatives.”
Sustainable attributes
process—no toxins are added to the wood, and the chief byproduct is acetic acid, which is nontoxic and biodegradable. This byproduct is either recycled back into the compound used for the acetylation (i.e. acetic anhydride) or rcs data sold into the substantial acetic acid merchant market. Besides a very small amount of natural resins isolated from the wood, there is very little waste, and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are minimized.
A recent lifecycle assessment (LCA), conducted by Joost Vogtlander of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (and verified by Andrew Norton or Renuables UK), concluded acetylated wood has a much lower environmental impact compared to many commonly used building products, including metals, concrete, and tropical hardwood.
Sustainable attributes
process—no toxins are added to the wood, and the chief byproduct is acetic acid, which is nontoxic and biodegradable. This byproduct is either recycled back into the compound used for the acetylation (i.e. acetic anhydride) or rcs data sold into the substantial acetic acid merchant market. Besides a very small amount of natural resins isolated from the wood, there is very little waste, and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are minimized.
A recent lifecycle assessment (LCA), conducted by Joost Vogtlander of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (and verified by Andrew Norton or Renuables UK), concluded acetylated wood has a much lower environmental impact compared to many commonly used building products, including metals, concrete, and tropical hardwood.