Patent ID: 8828485

Claim:
A method for protecting wood, said method comprising impregnating the wood with metallic-core, carbon-shell particles, in an amount sufficient, in comparison to otherwise similar but untreated wood, to substantially inhibit the growth of mold in the wood, or to substantially inhibit fungal decay of the wood, or to substantially inhibit destruction of the wood by termites, or to substantially inhibit destruction of the wood by at least one wood-destroying insect species that is not a termite; wherein said particles comprise a metallic core and a carbon shell; wherein the diameter of said metallic core is about 10 μm or less; wherein said carbon shell completely encloses said metallic core, so that said metallic core has no exposed surface; wherein the thickness of said carbon shell is about 20 nm or less; wherein substantially all of said metallic core has a zero oxidation state; and wherein the metallic core is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, copper, silver, zinc, and chromium.