Methods for producing structural materials from lumber are provided. The methods use an oxygen pre-treatment or a carbonate pre-treatment followed by densification via thermal compression to produce structural materials with strong mechanical properties. The pre-treatments are able to partially delignify the lumber without substantially adversely affecting the mechanical properties of the subsequently densified wood.

The invention relates to a process for treating a lignocellulosic material, preferably wood, comprising the following steps: (1) soaking of the material with organic fluid in order to dissolve at least 40% and at most 85%, in weight %, of the lignin of the material; (2) washing with organic fluid so as to discharge the dissolved lignin; (3) filling with a filling compound; and (4) finishing, so as to obtain a composite formed of a three-dimensional network of transformed filling compound incorporated into a cellulose and lignin network. The invention also relates to a composite structure able to be obtained in this way, and to any part comprising at least one such structure.

The present invention provides a flavor-improving agent comprising an extract from a plant of the genus Quercus of the family Fagaceae, wherein the ratio of whisky lactone content to total polyphenol content is 0.2% or higher; and a method for the manufacture thereof.

The invention relates to a process for treating a lignocellulosic material, e.g., wood, comprising the following steps: providing a lignocellulosic material; removing at least some but less than all lignin from the lignocellulosic material to yield a delignified structure; and densifying the delignified structure to yield the delignified, densified material, wherein the delignified, densified material is equal in size or is smaller in size relative to the lignocellulosic material provided; where densifying may include contacting said delignified structure, at least in part, with at least one fluid at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The invention also relates to a composite structure able to be obtained in this way, and to any part comprising at least one such structure.

A method for treating wood packaging materials using Radio Frequency heating includes the steps of heating wood packaging materials using RF heating and applying a pressure before the heating or incrementally applying a pressure during the heating. The wood packaging materials are heated in a RF operating unit that has a sealed chamber with an inner surface and a liner cover a majority of the inner surface, the liner having a heat-reflective inner face and an insulation layer between the inner face and the inner surface.

The present invention relates to an improved method for impregnating a porous material, such as wood, more specifically a method in which an active ingredient to be deposited within the porous material is dissolved in condensed carbon dioxide and impregnated in the material.

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.

The invention concerns a process for treating lignocellulosic material, preferably wood, comprising the following successive steps: (1) extracting lignin by a fluid in supercritical or subcritical phase to extract 40 to 85% by weight % of the lignin of the initial material; (2) filling by a filling compound, preferably in the presence of a fluid in supercritical or subcritical phase; and (3) finishing, so as to obtain a composite material formed by a three-dimensional network of filling compound that is transformed and incorporated in a network of cellulose and lignin.

The invention relates to a process for treating a lignocellulosic material, preferably wood, comprising the following steps: (1) soaking of the material with organic fluid in order to dissolve at least 40% and at most 85%, in weight %, of the lignin of the material; (2) washing with organic fluid so as to discharge the dissolved lignin; (3) filling with a filling compound; and (4) finishing, so as to obtain a composite formed of a three-dimensional network of transformed filling compound incorporated into a cellulose and lignin network. The invention also relates to a composite structure able to be obtained in this way, and to any part comprising at least one such structure.

Provided is a method for producing colored wood, the method including: a step of impregnating a block of wood with an organic acid aqueous solution containing an organic acid; and a step of performing steam treatment at high temperature and high pressure on the block of wood in a wet state of being impregnated with the organic acid aqueous solution while keeping the block of wood in the wet state. In the steam treatment, the temperature is 110? C. or more and 160? C. or less and the pressure is a saturated steam pressure at the temperature.