# US 2014/0193587 A1 · Methods of treating wood with preservatives using supercritical noble gases

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- Number: US 2014/0193587 A1
- Document ID: US20140193587A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/878,103
- Filed: 2011-11-08
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-08
- Assignees: Empire Technology Development LLC
- Inventors: William B. Carlson; Gregory D. Phelan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193587A1

## CPC

- B27K 3/086: {using supercritical or high pressure fluids}
- B27K 5/008: {Supercritical or high pressure fluids}
- A61L 9/22: Ionisation
- A61L 2209/11: Apparatus for controlling air treatment
- B27K 3/007: {employing compositions comprising nanoparticles}
- B27K 3/16: Inorganic impregnating agents
- B27K 3/163: {Compounds of boron}
- B27K 3/22: Compounds of zinc or copper
- B27K 3/28: Compounds of arsenic or antimony
- B27K: PROCESSES, APPARATUS OR SELECTION OF SUBSTANCES FOR IMPREGNATING, STAINING, DYEING, BLEACHING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS, OR TREATING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS WITH PERMEANT LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05; coating wood or similar material B44D); CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL TREATMENT OF CORK, CANE, REED, STRAW OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)

## Abstract

Disclosed are methods and compositions pertaining to the preservation of wood using one or more noble gasses in conjunction with wood preservatives.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of treating a wood substrate, the method comprising:
providing a wood substrate; and
contacting the wood substrate with a mixture comprising a supercritical liquid and at least one wood preservative, wherein the supercritical liquid comprises at least one noble gas at a weight percent greater than 1.5%, and wherein the contacting occurs at a pressure sufficient to maintain the supercritical liquid in a supercritical liquid state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 25%.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 50%.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 75%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 99%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the pressure is about 2,270 kPa to about 60,000 kPa.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the pressure is about 6,000 kPa to about 15,000 kPa.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the noble gas is neon, argon, krypton, xenon, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the noble gas is argon.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

The method of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the wood preservative is present in the mixture at about 0.1% to about 20% by weight.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the wood preservative is present in the mixture at about 1% to about 5% by weight.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

The method of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the wood preservative penetrates the surface of the wood substrate and is dispersed throughout the wood substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the wood preservative comprises a plurality of metal particles.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the metal particles are copper particles, zinc particles, or silver particles, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the metal particles have an average diameter of about 1 nm to about 1000 nm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the metal particles have an average diameter of about 20 nm to about 100 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the metal particles have an average diameter of about 30 nm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the wood preservative comprises a metal compound, an arsenic compound, or a boron compound soluble in liquid.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the metal compound is chromated copper arsenate, alkaline copper quaternary, copper azole, sodium borate, copper borate, zinc borate, copper carbonate, zinc carbonate, iron lignosulfate, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the wood preservative comprises chitosan-copper complex, chitosan-zinc complex, copper dimethyldithiocarbamate, ethanolamine copper, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the wood preservative comprises linseed oil, tung oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, kukui oil, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

The method of claim any one of claims 1-12, wherein the wood preservative comprises an isothiazolinone compound.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

The method of claim any one of claims 1-12, wherein the wood preservative comprises paraben, naphthalene, tebuconazole, propiconazole, cypraconazole, silafluofen, decanal, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC), 2-(thiocyanomethylthio)-benzothiazole (TCMTB), or combinations thereof.

### Claim 24

A composition comprising a supercritical liquid and at least one wood preservative, wherein the supercritical liquid comprises at least one noble gas and the wood preservative comprises a metal that is not an oxide or hydroxide.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The composition of claim 24, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 25%.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The composition of claim 24, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 50%.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The composition of claim 24, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 75%.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The composition of claim 24, wherein the noble gas is present in the supercritical liquid at a weight percent of more than about 99%.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)

The composition of any one of claims 24-28, wherein the composition is at a pressure of about 2,270 kPa to about 60,000 kPa.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The composition of claim 29, wherein the pressure is about 6,000 kPa to about 15,000 kPa.

### Claim 31 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)

The composition of any one of claims 24-30, wherein the noble gas is neon, argon, krypton, xenon, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The composition of claim 31, wherein the noble gas is argon.

### Claim 33 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)

The composition of any one of claims 24-32, wherein the wood preservative is present in the mixture at about 0.1% to about 20% by weight.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The composition of claim 33, wherein the wood preservative is present in the mixture at about 1% to about 5% by weight.

### Claim 35 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)

The composition of any one of claims 24-34, wherein the wood preservative comprises a plurality of metal particles.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The composition of claim 35, wherein the metal particles comprise copper, zinc, silver, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35, 36)

The composition of any one of claims 35-36, wherein the metal particle has an average diameter of about 1 nm to about 1000 nm.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The composition of claim 37, wherein the metal particle has an average diameter of about 20 nm to about 100 nm.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The composition of claim 38, wherein the metal particle has an average diameter of about 30 nm.

### Claim 40 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)

The composition of any one of claims 24-34, wherein the wood preservative comprises a metal compound, an arsenic compound, or a boron compound soluble in liquid.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The composition of claim 40, wherein the metal compound is chromated copper arsenate, alkaline copper quaternary, copper azole, sodium borate, copper borate, zinc borate, copper carbonate, zinc carbonate, iron lignosulfate, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 42 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)

The composition of any one of claims 24-34, wherein the wood preservative comprises a chitosan-copper complex, a chitosan-zinc complex, copper dimethyldithiocarbamate, ethanolamine copper, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 43 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)

The composition of any one of claims 24-34, wherein the wood preservative comprises linseed oil, tung oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, kukui oil, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 44 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)

The composition of claim any one of claims 24-34, wherein the wood preservative comprises an isothiazolinone compound.

### Claim 45 (depends on 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)

The composition of any one of claims 24-34, wherein the wood preservative comprises paraben, naphthalene, tebuconazole, propiconazole, cypraconazole, silafluofen, decanal, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC), 2-(thiocyanomethylthio)-benzothiazole (TCMTB), or combinations thereof.