Patent ID: 7655281

Claim:
A method of protecting wood through enhanced penetration of wood preservatives comprising providing a solution containing at least one amine oxide, at least one wood preservative and a buffering agent, said solution having a pH of about 5 to 12.4, applying said solution to the surface of said wood, and activating said amine oxide, said wood preservative and said buffering agent to effect penetration of said wood preservative into said wood employing said buffering agent in a weight percent of at least 5 percent of said solution weight, effecting by said method penetration of said wood preservatives into said wood to a greater depth than would exist without said buffering agent, whereby synergistic interaction between said amine oxide and said buffering agent effects said greater depth of penetration of said wood preservative wherein the buffering agent is selected from the group consisting of borates, boric acids and combinations thereof, and wherein the at least one preservative is selected from the group consisting of organic compounds, halo-organic compounds, metalo-organic compounds, organo-salts, and organophosphates.