WOOD-INORGANIC COMPOSITES PREPARED BY SOL-GEL PROCESS .3. CHEMICALLY-MODIFIED WOOD-INORGANIC COMPOSITES

To bind it with inorganic substances, wood was chemically-modified with 3-isocyanatepropyl triethoxysilane (IPTEOS). The prepared chemically-modified wood was then treated with a tetraisopropyl titanate solution in isopropanol to prepare chemically-modified wood-inorganic composites with TiO2 gels. In these composites, the TiO2 gels were deposited in the cell lumens, binding chemically with wood substances on the inner surfaces of the cell walls. Such composites showed great dimensional stabilities with fire-resistant effects. Furthermore, a comparison with wood-inorganic composites prepared with a tetraisopropyl titanate solution in isopropanol indicated that the chemical modification with IPTEOS is effective for subsequent treatment with tetraisopropyl titanate to improve the properties of the wood.