A flexible structure is formed by subjecting cellulose-based natural wood material to a chemical treatment that partially removes hemicellulose and lignin therefrom. The treated wood has a unique 3-D porous structure with numerous channels, excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility, and improved flexibility as compared to the natural wood. By further modifying the treated wood, the structure can be adapted to particular applications. For example, nanoparticles, nanowires, carbon nanotubes, or any other coating or material can be added to the treated wood to form a hybrid structure. In some embodiments, open lumina within the structure can be at least partially filled with a non-wood substance, such as a flexible polymer, or with entangled cellulose nanofibers. The unique architecture and superior properties of the flexible wood allow for its use in various applications, such as, but not limited to, structural materials, solar thermal devices, flexible electronics, tissue engineering, thermal management, and energy storage.

A two-part flame-retardant, a flame-retardant oriented strand (OSB) and method for forming a flame-retardant OSB is provided. The two-part flame-retardant composition includes an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble flame-retardant and a flame-retardant powder that is incorporated into an oriented strand board without substantially affecting the mechanical properties of the oriented strand board. The method includes applying the aqueous solution containing a water-soluble flame-retardant to an oriented strand board furnish and applying a flame-retardant powder to the wetted furnish, without requiring an additional drying step.

A process for the production of OSB wood-based panels including: a) producing wood strands from suitable wood logs; b) treating at least part of the wood strands with steam at a temperature between 80° C. and 120° C. and a pressure between 0.5 bar and 2 bar; c) drying the steam-treated wood strands; d) gluing the steam-treated and dried wood strands and, optionally, gluing the non-steam treated wood strands with at least one binder; e) scattering the glued wood strands onto a conveyor belt; and f) pressing the glued wood strands into an OSB wood-based board. The steam treatment takes place after the wood strands have been produced and made available, or after the wood strands have been sifted and separated according to the use of the wood strands for the middle and top layers of the panel. Also, an OSB wood-based panel made using the process.

A method of treating wood includes subjecting the wood to a vacuum environment, and thereafter contacting the wood under positive pressure with an aldehyde and an isocyanate, both the aldehyde and the isocyanate being in liquid form.

Provided is a flame retardant and latent hardener composition including a blend of 30-100% (by weight based on total solids) of diammonium hydrogen phosphate, and dihydrogen phosphate, 0-50% (by weight based on total solids) of monoammonium. The flame-retardant/hardener composition is prepared as a solid blend or a liquid composition, the liquid composition being an aqueous composition including a liquid aqueous solution of the contents ranging from 25% w/w to 80% w/w. Methods for making flame retarded fiber boards using the composition as flame retarder and a hardener for the resin used in the production of the boards are also provided.

This invention relates to a process for modifying wood. The process comprises treating the wood with an impregnating solution comprising an alkali metal (or alkaline earth metal) silicate, under conditions sufficient to impregnate the wood with one or more of the components of the impregnating solution. The process can comprise an optional second impregnation with a second impregnating solution. The process also comprises adding gaseous carbon dioxide to the treated wood, in the absence or presence of water, under pressure ranging from about 2 to about 12 bars, thereby lowering the pH of the treated wood to about 11 or below, to stabilize and/or fix the components of the impregnating solution in the wood. The process is green, non-toxic, and the resulting modified wood or wood product can be used across all primary construction and infrastructure applications.

Disclosed is a process for the treatment of wood strands suitable for the manufacture of OSB boards, in which the wood strands are treated with steam without drying after extraction, the steam being passed over the wood strands at a temperature between 80° C. and 120° C. and a pressure between 0.5 bar and 2 bar. Also disclosed is a process for the production of OSB wood-based boards including the steps of a) producing wood strands from suitable wood logs; b) treating at least part of the wood strands with steam; c) drying the steam-treated wood strands; d) gluing the steam-treated and dried wood strands and gluing the non-steam-treated wood strands with at least one binder; e) scattering the glued wood strands onto a conveyor belt; and f) pressing the glued wood strands into an OSB wood-based board.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a piezoresistive sensor material, including: preparing a wood fiber aerogel; conducting dopamine self-polymerization on the surface of the aerogel to obtain a wood fiber-based hydrogel; soaking the wood fiber-based hydrogel in a nano conductive phase suspension or a nano conductive phase precursor to form a conductive phase-loaded wood fiber-based hydrogel; subjecting the conductive phase-loaded wood fiber-based hydrogel to reaction with an aqueous solution including a polyelectrolyte monomer, a crosslinker, an initiator and a catalyst to form a conductive phase-wood fiber-based hydrogel composite; and complexing the composite with metal ions. The present disclosure further discloses a piezoresistive sensor including the sensor material, and a preparation method thereof. The sensor material prepared by the method of the present disclosure has excellent mechanical strength and ionic conductivity, and a sensor further prepared has extremely-high sensitivity.

The disclosure relates to a method for the production of wood fiberboards such as MDF boards.

Methods of making, and the resultant monolithic drum shell for a musical instrument, that include selecting one or more desired wood fibers, providing a resinous binder solution, and immersing the wood fibers within the resinous binder solution for a duration that saturates and covers the wood fibers with the resinous binder solution to form a drum shell liquid composition. The drum shell liquid composition is deposited into a mold, and then cured to form a monolithic composite drum shell. The monolithic composite drum shell is removed from the mold to provide a ready-to-use drum shell for assembling into a musical instrument.