US 12,485,570 B2
Green process for modifying wood
Alex Berg, Coronel (CL); Roland Fritsch, Evans, GA (US); Joel Kier, New York, NY (US); and Kurt Malzer, Grovetown, GA (US)
Assigned to T2EARTH HOLDINGS LLC, Jericho, NY (US)
Filed by Alex Berg, Coronel (CL); Roland Fritsch, Evans, GA (US); Joel Kier, New York, NY (US); and Kurt Malzer, Grovetown, GA (US)
Filed on Dec. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/112,568.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/068,211, filed on Aug. 20, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/944,858, filed on Dec. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0170623 A1, Jun. 10, 2021
Int. Cl. B27K 3/20 (2006.01); B27K 3/02 (2006.01); B27K 3/18 (2006.01)
CPC B27K 3/20 (2013.01) [B27K 3/0214 (2013.01); B27K 3/0292 (2013.01); B27K 3/18 (2013.01); B27K 2200/10 (2013.01); B27K 2200/30 (2013.01); B27K 2240/20 (2013.01); B27K 2240/30 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. A process for modifying wood, comprising:
treating the wood with an impregnating solution comprising sodium silicate, under conditions sufficient to impregnate the wood with one or more of the components of the impregnating solution, wherein the weight ratio of SiO2/(Na2O) of the sodium silicate ranges from about 2.5 to about 3.5; and
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,
wherein the process is green, non-toxic as being carried out in the absence of a pesticide or biocide, or as being carried out with an environmentally safe boron level in the impregnating solution of no more than 1% by wt, and
wherein the concentration of SiO2 in the impregnating solution ranges from about 3% by wt. to about 15% by wt.