Method of treating wood
OwnerGoran Hanssoninventor
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Abstract
Method of effecting zoning in wood with the aid of fungus cultures. The wood is pretreated by sterilizing it, setting a suitable moisture content and impregnating it. Impregnation with nutrients ensures that the fungi are sustained by the nutrients added and not by the wood. Special patterns can be achieved by using inhibitors. Pretreated wood is inoculated with one or more fungus cultures and stacked in sandwich fashion. An interlayer is inserted into the inoculated sandwich to produce the desired zoning pattern. Incubation is performed with controlled moisture contents and moisture gradients in the wood, as well as the composition of the gas phase, and may be carried out as a two-step process. The method is performed entirely or partially in a closed system.
Claims26
A method of treating wood to effect zoning, comprising the steps of:
- (a) pretreating the wood to disinfect the wood and to adjust the moisture content of the wood to a desired value;
- (b) treating the wood to inhibit decomposition of the wood by fungus, while allowing fungus growth therein by impregnating the wood with a nutrient solution;
- (c) inoculating the pretreated and treated wood with at least one fungus culture;
- and
- (d) incubating the inoculated wood under controlled conditions to obtain zoning, in the substantial absence of decomposition of the wood.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.