Combined process of hydrolysis and esterification of wood

A method of treating wood or engineered wood, comprising:

• step 1, step 2, and step 3,
• wherein step 1 includes either substeps 1a) through 1c) or substeps 1aa) through 1dd),
• wherein substeps 1a) through 1c) include:
• 1a) selecting and placing the wood or engineered wood in hydrolysis chamber that can be heated, cooled, and pressurized;
• 1b) applying a vacuum to the hydrolysis chamber in order to empty cells of the wood or engineered wood;
• and
• 1c) providing an aqueous impregnation solution comprising an impregnation agent suitable for esterification in the hydrolysis chamber, pressurizing the hydrolysis chamber, and heating the hydrolysis chamber sufficiently to evaporate the aqueous impregnation solution, wherein the evaporated aqueous impregnation solution penetrates the cells of the wood or engineered wood and impregnates the wood or engineered wood;
• and wherein substeps 1aa) through 1dd) include:
• 1aa) selecting and placing the wood or engineered wood in a vacuum/pressure chamber;
• 1bb) providing an aqueous impregnation solution comprising an impregnation agent suitable for esterification and pressuring the vacuum/pressure chamber, wherein the aqueous impregnation solution impregnates the wood or engineered wood by either full cell impregnation or empty cell impregnation;
• 1cc) transferring the impregnated wood or engineered wood to the hydrolysis chamber;
• and
• 1dd) pressurizing and heating the hydrolysis chamber containing the impregnated wood or engineered wood;
• wherein step 2 includes
• maintaining pressure and heat in the hydrolysis chamber for a holding phase, wherein during the holding phase hemicelluloses of the impregnated wood or engineered wood are hydrolyzed to produce carboxylic acids, while simultaneously, the impregnation agent suitable for esterification in the impregnated wood or engineered reacts with the produced carboxylic acids, resulting in polymerization of the impregnation agent suitable for esterification to form a polymerized wood or engineered wood product;
• and
• wherein step 3 includes
• lowering the temperature to ambient temperature and lowering the pressure in the hydrolysis chamber to atmospheric pressure;
• wherein the method does not include a drying step wherein the impregnated wood or engineered wood is dried to a level allowing thermal modification between impregnation and hydrolysis during the holding phase.