Patent ID: 6248402
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: B27K

Abstract:
Method of treating wood, which consists essentially of:placing the wood to be treated in a treatment chamber;subjecting the wood to a controlled thermal treatment comprising the steps of a) drying said wood in an open circuit to obtain a dried wood; and b) heating and maintaining said dried wood at a controlled thermal treatment temperature ranging between 220.degree.-300.degree. C. for a sufficient time to obtain a heated wood; the controlled thermal treatment temperature permitting to increase the porosity of the wood, to give the wood a hydrophobic character, and to improve its wettability with respect to a hardening product by modifying the surface tension of the wood;placing the heated wood in a reactor chamber having an internal pressure approximating atmospheric pressure;creating a vacuum in the reactor chamber;filling the reactor chamber with the hardening product so as to impregnate the wood by causing the product to penetrate in spaces between fibers of the wood; the controlled thermal treatment making it possible to impregnate the wood by the hardening product without overpressurizing the reactor chamber; andhardening said product at atmospheric pressure, the greater porosity and improved wettability of the heated wood avoiding the need of overpressure and of swelling agents.