What are CCA, ACA, ACZA, etc.?
CCA, ACA, ACZA, etc., are acronyms for different preservative treatments. These treatments are pressure impregnated in the wood using a water solution. Not all the preservatives listed are commercially available. Current formulations are listed in American Wood Preservers’ Association (AWPA) P5 Standard for waterborne preservatives. A letter (A, B, C, .) after the above acronyms (for example, CCA-C) refers to variations in the formulations. Oil-borne preservatives include pentachlorophenol and copper naphthenate. These and other oil-borne treatments are listed in AWPA P8 Standard for oil-borne preservatives. There is also AWPA P9 Standard for solvents and formulations for organic preservative systems. Creosote is a coal tar product derived from tar produced by the carbonization of bituminous coal. The AWPA standards for creosote and creosote solutions are P1/P13, P2, and P3.
