Although chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is one of the most important treatment methods for the prevention of decay in wood, the nature of wood/CCA reactions are not clear. The current study was undertaken to elucidate the nature of chemical reactions occurring between the components of the treating solution and the constituents of wood. Small, clear Southern pine samples were treated with six different preservative solutions (Cr; Cr/Cu; Cr/As; CCA-A; CCA-B; CCA-C), at 6.4 and 40 Kg/m3(0.4 and 2.5 pcf) retentions, and compared to water treated and untreated controls. Samples were dried following treatment and analyzed by diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT). Evaluation of DRIFT data indicated that the preservative components reacted with the aromatic and carbonyl groups in wood.