Process and Design Modifications to Retrofit a Conventional Wood Plant

A method of upgrading a lumber vacuum-pressure impregnation process plant having a pre-existing vacuum pressure impregnation tank, feed lines, an original vacuum pump, and a lumber transport system to impregnate lumber with a shear thickening fluid comprising colloidal metal silicate solution configured as sodium silicate, comprising:

• at least one of adding heated storage tanks for solutions of siliceous solutions and adding a heater to an existing storage tank, configured to fill and remove the solutions to the pre-existing vacuum pressure impregnation tank;
• installing delivery lines capable of handling high pH, viscous solutions between at least the pre-existing vacuum pressure impregnation tank and the added or an existing heated storage tank;
• installing a CO2 storage tank with associated vaporizer and a CO2 recovery system;
• installing associated lines to and from the pre-existing vacuum pressure impregnation tank and the CO2 storage tank and the CO2 recovery system;
• installing pumps for circulating the shear thickening fluid;
• install a pressure monitoring system configured to:
• reduce pressure fluctuations;
• controlling a rate of pressure;
• and
• monitor pressure and provide feedback to monitor impregnation;
• adding or upgrading level indicators in one or more of the vacuum pressure impregnation tank and the heated storage tank configured to impregnate silicate into the lumber with a disproportionate amount near a wood surface, wherein a resulting weight is of the lumber is less than a fully impregnated lumber;
• installing a dispensing system configured to control a rate of additive addition and concentration to minimize gelation and control a colloidal effect of the shear thickening fluid;
• installing software for a controller configured to track, record, and analyze process variables for sodium silicate solutions, wherein the process variables include one or more of solution temperature, autoclave pressure, amounts of solution utilized, storage tanks temperatures, treatment autoclave temperatures, and duration of each stage of the process, wherein the software is configured to cause the controller to:
• utilize indirect measurement and feedback to determine density and porosity of the lumber,
• control and monitor flow rates,
• control and monitor pressure;
• control and monitor the rate of pressure;
• control solution pH including control feedback;
• and
• determine solution levels for treatment;
• and
• installing a thermal management system configured to minimize temperature variations comprising:
• insulation and cladding on one or more of the tanks and lines;
• heat tracing on all level indicators;
• and
• insertion of heating coils in one or more of the vacuum pressure impregnation tank and the heated storage tank.