A flame retardant treatment of a lignocellulosic material, which includes: optionally steam exploding the lignocellulosic material, impregnating the optionally steam-exploded lignocellulosic material, in or with an aqueous solution, from 0.5% to 10% of phytic acid and from 1% to 30% of urea, based on the total weight of the aqueous solution, optionally drying of the impregnated lignocellulosic material, until the impregnated lignocellulosic material has a moisture content from 5% to 20% by weight, cooking the impregnated and optionally dried lignocellulosic material, the resulting flame-retarded lignocellulosic material including a phosphorous content originating from the phytic acid from 0.1% to 10% by weight. Also, the resulting flame-retarded lignocellulosic material and the use thereof for manufacturing flame-retarded composite materials based on plant fibres, woven or nonwoven flame-retarded flexible materials based on plant fibres, and particularly textiles, flame-retarded materials based on wood fibres and/or on wood particles, and particularly flame-retarded wood panels.

A method of treating wood with an organic phosphonate salt in a liquid phase to chemically modify its surface and thus provide protection from microorganisms. The organic phosphonate salts are of Formula III

##STR00001##

wherein R1 is a hydrogen radical or an alkyl or aryl radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R2 is a cation selected from the group of NH4+, H+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Fr+, Cu+, Ag+, substituted or unsubstituted ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium, methylpyrrolidinium, isothiazolium, isoxazolium, oxazolium, pyrrolium, thiophenium, pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, and triazolium, or a mixture thereof, said method preferably comprising using one or more salt compounds having formula III. Products comprising a raw material having been treated according to the method with one or more organic salts of formula III are also disclosed.

Provided is a composition for the preservation of wood and other cellulosic materials. The composition comprises a dispersion of micronized inorganic compounds and/or organic biocides in an organic carrier. Also provided is a method for making the composition.

The present invention provides wood preservative compositions comprising micronized particles. In one embodiment, the composition comprises dispersions of micronized metal or metal compounds. In another embodiment, the wood preservative composition comprises an inorganic component comprising a metal or metal compound and organic biocide. When the composition comprises an inorganic component and an organic biocide, the inorganic component or the organic biocide or both are present as micronized particles. When compositions of the present invention are used for preservation of wood, there is minimal leaching of the metal and biocide from the wood.

The present invention is directed to amine soluble, or solid copper triazole based wood preservative formulations containing certain types of quaternary ammonium compounds, or nonionic sufactants, and the use of these quaternary ammonium compound-, or nonionic surfactant-containing formulations to pressure treat and preserve wood. The addition of the quaternary ammonium compounds, or nonionic surfactants to the wood preservation treatment solutions allows improved penetration of the copper from the solution into wood and reduces the duration of time required to effectively pressure treat the wood with the preservation composition.

According to the present invention there is provided the use of one or more low aromatic or substantially low aromatic solvents as a carrier, for efficacious use within a preservative formulation for treating wood or other cellulosic species. The invention also provides for a wood preservative formulation comprising such a carrier. In an embodiment, the carrier is selected from the commercially-available range of Exxsol® D and Isopar® fluids.

An aqueous dispersion of octylisothiazolinone (“OIT”) has been found to be useful for delivering OIT to wood for protecting the wood from fungal discoloration. The OIT dispersion can be applied to the wood to develop a protective barrier of relatively preservative at or near the exterior surface of the wood piece.

A heat insulation material is provided that is produced by drying a fibrous matrix impregnated with a solution of pseudo-peptides of formula (I), wherein: R is a side-chain of a natural or synthetic amino acid , R1 is either a linear or branched (C.sub.1-C.sub.3)alkyl group, or a linear or branched (C.sub.1-C.sub.3)alcoxy group, or an aryl group, or an aryl(C.sub.1-C.sub.3)alkyl group, or an aryloxy group, or a saturated or unsaturated heterocycle, n=1 or 2, and A is an aromatic or heteroaromatic group with at least one cycle.

A method of producing a wood-based material that is modified is provided. Specifically, there is provided a method of producing a wood-based material, comprising 1) a step of impregnating a wood-based material with a furan derivative resinification solution that comprises a furan derivative, an inorganic salt inhibiting polymerization of the furan derivative at normal temperature, and an inorganic salt accelerating polymerization of the furan derivative; and 2) a step of polymerizing the furan derivative in the furan derivative resinification solution impregnated into the wood-based material within the wood-based material by means of heating.

The invention relates to the use of penflufen for protecting wood and wood-comprising materials against wood-destroying basidiomycetes.