So, I know that certain compounds aren’t good to use in the lasers as they will cause noxious gases, fires, and other problems. Does anyone know if pressure treated wood should or shouldn’t be used in the lasers?
Just off the top of my head, I’d say No since arsenic and chrome are used. I can’t imagine gaseous arsenic is good and chrome could form hexavalent chrome - a rather nasty substance.
What is the chemical used in pressure treated wood?
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Most pressure treated wood is no longer CCA, just cuperic chrome. But I’m expecting that lasering it would likely result in hexavalent chromium which is bad news.
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If it breaks the Cu-Cr bond so Cr(VI) forms then the Cu will combine with something else in a gaseous state most likely, still not nice. On the upside, it could make a cool looking Green flame!
This is the nasty stuff from the movie Erin Brockovich.
Thank you all. I wanted to err on the side of caution.
The purpose of using pressure treated was to improve resistance to moisture for outdoor use. There are different ways of doing that.
Thank you. Given this conversation, should the Wiki page of materials for laser use be updated?