Acetylation of wood in combination with polysiloxanes to improve water-related and mechanical properties of wood

Scots pine sapwood was acetylated with ethyltriacetoxysilane using acetic acid as a solvent and sulfuric acid as a catalyst. A weight percent gain (WPG) of 14 % and cell wall bulking of 7 % were obtained after 5 h of reaction time. Pine specimens were acetylated with acetic anhydride in the presence of 1 % ethyltriacetoxysilane, dihydroxy-functional siloxane, acetoxy-functional siloxane, amino-functional siloxane and non-functional siloxane, respectively. Acetoxy-functional siloxane induced the greatest reduction in water uptake with a water repellent effectiveness after 24 h of up to 62 % as compared to acetylated wood. WPG and cell wall bulking increased compared to solely acetylated wood with increasing concentrations of acetoxy-functional siloxane in acetic anhydride; anti-shrink efficiency, however, did not increase. Fungal resistance of pine sapwood and beech as well as mechanical strength properties did not change when 20 % acetoxy-functional siloxane was added to acetic anhydride compared to solely acetylated specimens.