Solutions
Cobra™ Rod
Product Overview
Cobra™ Rods deliver exceptional protection for utility poles against degradation due to internal decay, fungi, and insects. As the first water-diffusible glass co-biocide treatment of its kind, Cobra™ Rods spread throughout the pole in both vertical and horizontal directions, utilizing mass flow and diffusion from the point of application. This advanced method ensures that high concentrations of borates and copper are effectively distributed, enhancing the protection of wood substrates. With a strong environmental profile, Cobra™ Rods are a versatile pesticide suitable for all wood types and original treatments. The application rates can be customized based on factors such as the pole’s age, size, condition, and environmental conditions.
Power Tech Labs:
The literature review suggests that the Cobra™ Rod’s boron/copper formulation offers several advantages over a rod composed entirely of boron. The combined effect of boron and copper enhances fungal protection, with boron defending against internal wood attacks by coppertolerant basidiomycetes and insects, while copper shields the wood’s outer surfaces from boronresistant soft-rot fungi.
The integration of boron and copper into copper borate, as opposed to a simple mixture, further improves effectiveness. This formulation boosts the mobility of copper within the wood and simultaneously slows the movement of some of the boron. This approach extends the longevity of fungal protection provided by the treatment, addressing the limitations of 100% boron rods, particularly in wetter climates. It achieves this by delaying boron depletion and ensuring that copper remains effective in the wood even after boron levels have diminished.
For more information, including Performance Tests and the results, please visit: https://genicsinc.com/cobra-rod/
Performance Summary
Genics has conducted research and testing with the following research institutions:
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- FPInnovations
- Mississippi State University
- Innotech Alberta
- Louisiana State University
- Oregon State University
- Powertech Laboratories
- University of Toronto
- University of Hawaii
Fullreports available upon request.
Figure 4, 10-year study of Cobra™ Rods demonstrates toxic threshold retention levels for all poles treated with Cobra™ Rods. Hilo is classified as a decay zone 3 as per current AWPA standards (formerly decay zone 5).
Powertech Labs:
The results of the literature search indicates that the boron/copper formulation of the Cobra™ Rod will have a number of advantages over the 100% boron rod. Fungal efficacy will be increased due to the synergistic effect of boron and copper in that the boron would offer protection against internal attack of treated wood from copper tolerant basidiomycetes and insects; whereas, the copper would protect the outer surfaces of the wood against attack by boron tolerant soft-rot fungi.
The fusion of the boron and copper into copper borate, rather than a simple admixture of the compounds, is also beneficial in that it enhances the mobility of copper within the wood and at the same time retards the mobility of some of the boron. This will extend the fungal efficacy longevity of the preservative treatment, which is a shortcoming of the 100% boron rod, especially in wetter climatic areas, both by delaying the loss of boron from the treated wood and by the presence of copper in the wood long after the boron as eventually been depleted.
Figure 5 Boron Concentration as a Function of Distance from Cobra™ Rod Location
Ensure the use of proper PPE as per the label, SDS sheet, State guidelines.
This product is manufactured in an ISO 14001 facility.
