FEBRUARY 2020
Penn State Works to Commercialize Radio Frequency for ISPM 15 Treatment
A technology that uses dielectric heating and radiofrequency energy to destroy destructive pests lurking within wood products is closer to reaching the marketplace after a recent commercial trial at Penn State’s University Park campus. The December 2019 demonstration was observed by regulatory and wood products industry professionals from the U.S. and Canada. It validated the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the radio frequency, or RF, technology for pallet sanitation.
‘The treatment offers enhanced ability to terminate wood insect and nematode pests compared to conventional heat practices, noted Mark Gagnon, Harbaugh Entrepreneur and Innovation Faculty Scholar in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
“This innovation has the potential to be transformative in required international trade wood-sanitation treatment,” said Gagnon, who has been instrumental in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program since its inception, encouraging entrepreneurship across the college.
“RF treatment is more efficient and uses fewer resources than conventional kilns and chemical drying methods, and that is not only better for a company’s bottom line, but it is also better for the environment.”
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Penn State scientists validated the effectiveness and cost efficiency of radio frequency technology for pallet sanitation during a commercial trial held at University Park.
Photo credit: Penn State