Method for increasing the permeability of wood
AssigneeThe University of Melbourne
InventorsPeter Vinden, Francisco Javier Romero, Grigory Torgovnikov
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the treatment of wood, and is particularly concerned with a method for increasing the permeability of wood, especially moist wood.
Claims14
Wood when treated by a method for increasing the permeability of wood which comprises subjecting wood with a moisture content (based on dry weight) of at least 15% to microwave radiation at a frequency (f) in the range of from about 0.1 to about 24 GHz with a power intensity (p) from about 10 W/cm2 to about 100 kW/cm2 for a duration of from about 0.05 to about 600 seconds to cause water in the wood to vaporize resulting in an internal pressure in the wood such that the permeability of the wood is increased by partial or complete destruction of ray cell tissue, softening and displacement of wood resin, formation of pathways in the radial direction of the wood and/or by creating, on the base of destroyed rays, cavities in the wood, said cavities being primarily in radial-longitudinal planes of the wood, and wherein the overall integrity of the wood is substantially maintained.
A wood-based material formed by microwave treatment of an untreated wood having a moisture content (based on dry weight) of at least 15%, said wood-based material having a multitude of cavities primarily in the radial-longitudinal planes thereof formed by the full or partial destruction of ray cells and by expanding destroyed rays to cavitiesAuring said microwave treatment of the untreated wood, and having a permeability in radial and longitudinal directions which is at least 5 times that of the untreated wood, wherein the overall integrity of the untreated wood is substantially maintained in the wood-based material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.