The present invention provides a method for the acetylation of wood comprising treating the wood with an acetylation medium under wood acetylation reaction conditions and drying the acetylated wood, wherein the drying comprises at least two steps, wherein the wood is first dried with a first drying medium and then with a second drying medium.

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.

A method for improving the hydrophobic properties of a cellulosic material having a measurable moisture content without leaving an acidic residue comprises immersing the material in an inert gas, treating the material at a first temperature of between about 180° F. and about 250° F. with a vapor of silane until the silane reacts with the moisture to form hydroxysilanes and an acid vapor, then treating the material at a second temperature of between about 280° F. and about 350° F. until the hydroxysilanes convert to dehydrated silanes that are diffusely resident in the material, and removing the moisture, the acid vapor and remaining silane vapor until the treated material is substantially acid free.

Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

In a method for treating wood, wherein a wooden body is impregnated with a polymerizable compound which is polymerizable by oxidation, the polymerizable compound is brought into contact with an oxidizer in the wooden body in order to polymerize the polymerizable compound in situ. The polymerizable compound applied therein comprises a heterocyclic compound with nitrogen and/or sulphur as heteroatom. The oxidizer is brought into solution and the wooden body is saturated with a solution of the oxidizer. The wooden body is subjected to a vapour phase of the heterocyclic compound under an increased pressure and the heterocyclic compound is polymerized in situ in the wood.

Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

The disclosure relates to a method for continuous acetylation of wood elements. The acetylation is conducted with an acetylation medium at a pressure of at least 1.5 barg in a substantially oxygen free environment. Alternatively, the method includes the steps of: (a) feeding wood elements in a substantially oxygen free environment to a continuous acetylation reactor, and (b) treating the wood elements with an acetylation medium in the continuous acetylation reactor under wood acetylation reaction conditions, at a pressure of at least 1.5 barg. The process can acetylate wood elements to a high acetyl content in an efficient way, without compromising on the quality of the material. The acetylated wood elements can be used in the production of medium density fibreboards with superior qualities such as dimensional stability and durability.

A process for the production of acetylated wood elements, a cooling system and a wood acetylation plant are described. A process for the production of acetylated wood elements comprises acetylating wood elements and cooling the acetylated wood elements wherein the cooling comprises supplying liquid water to the acetylated wood elements to provide wetted wood elements and exposing the wetted wood elements to a gas flow.

The present invention provides a method for the acetylation of wood comprising treating the wood with an acetylation medium under wood acetylation reaction conditions and drying the acetylated wood, wherein the drying comprises at least two steps, wherein the wood is first dried with a first drying medium and then with a second drying medium.