received by the International Bureau on 10 June 2017 (10.06.2017)

1. A composition of matter, which comprises

wood; and

a marker composed of a carboxylate of a metal cation in which the metal is selected from the group consisting of non-biocidal metals selected from Period 4, Period 5, or Period 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and a carboxylate anion that includes about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms.

2. The composition of claim 1, in which the wood is Southern Yellow Pine.

3. The composition of claim 1, in which the marker is dispersed within the wood.

4. The composition of claiml, in which the marker is selected from the group consisting of bismuth, cobalt, manganese, zirconium, bismuth carboxylates, cobalt carboxylates, , manganese carboxylates, zirconium carboxylates, and mixtures thereof.

5. The composition of claiml, in which the selected metal is a rare earth metal or a mixture of rare earth metals.

6. The composition of claiml, in which the marker is fluorescent when excited by x-ray radiation.

7. The composition of claim 1, which includes one or more biocidal metals.

8. A marker fluid dispersion for marking wood, which comprises:

a continuous water-based pressure-treating phase for increasing the resistance of wood to weathering, fire, or microbial attack or a continuous water phase; and

a discrete marker phase composed of a carboxylate of a metal cation in which the metal is selected from the group consisting of non-biocidal metals selected from Period 4, Period 5, or Period 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and a carboxylate anion that includes about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms,; a hydrocarbonaceous solvent; and a surfactant.

9. The marker fluid dispersion of claim 8, in which the carboxylate is bismuth carboxylate, cobalt carboxylate, manganese carboxylate, zirconium carboxylate or a mixture thereof.

10. The marker fluid dispersion of claim 8, in which the selected metal is a rare earth metal or a mixture of rare earth metals.

11. The marker fluid dispersion of claim 8, which includes one or more biocidal metals.

12. The marker fluid dispersion of claim 8 in which the continuous phase composed of a continuous water-based pressure-treating liquid for increasing the resistance of wood to weathering, fire, or microbial attack.

13. A process for marking a wood product, which comprises:

providing a marker fluid dispersion which comprises

a disperse marker phase composed of a carboxylate of a metal cation in which the metal is selected from the group consisting of non-biocidal metals selected from Period 4, Period 5, or Period 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and a carboxylate anion that includes about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms; a hydrocarbonaceous solvent; and a surfactant.

and a continuous phase composed of a conventional water-based pressure treating fluid suitable for improving the resistance of the wood product against fire, weathering, or microbial attack or a continuous phase composed of water; and

depositing a detectable amount of the carboxylate in the wood product by exposing the wood product to the marker fluid dispersion at greater than atmospheric pressure.

14. The process of claim 13, which includes drawing air from the wood product by establishing a partial vacuum in or near the wood product.

15. The process of claim 13, in which the carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of bismuth carboxylates, cobalt carboxylates, manganese carboxylates, zirconium carboxylates, and mixtures thereof.

16. The process of claim 13, in which the carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of rare earth carboxylates and mixtures of rare earth carboxylates.

17. The process of claim 13, in which the proportion of the carboxylate in the marker phase in the range of about 10 percent to about 80 weight percent.

18. The process of claim 13, in which the surfactant is an alkyl polyethoxylate, an alkyl aryl polyethoxylate, or an alkyl sulfate. 28

19. The process of claim 13, in which the marker fluid includes one or more biocidal metals.

20. The process of claim 13, in which the continuous phase is composed a conventional water-based pressure treating fluid suitable for improving the resistance of the wood product against fire, weathering or of water or microbial attack.

21. A process for authenticating a wood product, which comprises:

providing a marker fluid dispersion which comprises

a disperse marker phase composed of a carboxylate of a metal cation in which the metal is selected from the group consisting of non-biocidal metals selected from the group consisting of non-biocidal metals selected from Period 4, Period 5, or Period 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and a carboxylate anion that includes about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms; a hydrocarbonaceous solvent; and a surfactant; and

a continuous phase composed a conventional water-based pressure treating fluid suitable for improving the resistance of the wood product against fire, weathering or of water or microbial attack or a continuous phase composed of water; and

depositing a detectable amount of the carboxylate in the wood product by exposing the wood product to the marker fluid dispersion at greater than atmospheric pressure; and

identifying the wood product by detecting the presence of the selected metal or the carboxylate in the wood product to authenticate the pressure-treated wood product.

224. The process of claim 21, which includes drawing air from the wood product by establishing a partial vacuum in or near the wood product.

23. The process of claim 21, in which the carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of bismuth carboxylates, cobalt carboxylates, manganese carboxylates, zirconium carboxylates, and mixtures thereof.

24. The process of claim 21, in which the carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of rare earth carboxylates or mixtures of rare earth carboxylates.

25. The process of claim 21, in which the proportion of the carboxylate in the marker phase in the range of about 10 percent to about 80 weight percent.

29

26. The process of claim 21, in which the surfactant is an alkyl polyethoxylate, an alkyl aryl polyethoxylate, or an alkyl sulfate.

27. The process of claim 213, in which the marker fluid includes one or more of the biocidal metals.

28. The process of claim 21, in which the continuous phase is composed a conventional water-based pressure treating fluid suitable for improving the resistance of the wood product against fire, weathering or of water or microbial attack.

29. An additive composition for marking wood in water or a water-based pressure-treating solution, which additive composition comprises:

a hydrocarbonaceous solvent;

a bismuth carboxylate dissolved or suspended in the hydrocarbonaceous solvent; and a surfactant for dispersing the solvent and the carboxylate in water or a water-based pressure-treating solution.

30. The additive composition of claim 29, in which the carboxylate includes in the range of about 6 to about 24 moles of carbon per mole of bismuth.

31. The additive composition of claim 29, in which the surfactant is an alkyl polyethoxylate or an alkyl aryl polyethoxylate.

32. The additive composition of claim 29, in which the hydrocarbonaceous solvent is a petroleum distillate or a biodiesel that is dispersible within water or within a water-based pressure treating fluid suitable for preserving the wood product against microbial attack.

33 The additive composition of claim 29, in which the surfactant when mixed with water is capable of emulsifying about 50 ppm to about 1000 ppm of the hydrocarbonaceous solvent and the bismuth carboxylate in water.