Acetylation of Wood in Lumber Thickness

Wood thicker than veneer may be acetylated within a reasonable period of time by treatment with uncatalyzed acetic anhydride diluted with an inert solvent which does not by itself swell the wood. This dilution technique meters the amount of anhydride injected into the wood by pressure impregnation, and enables the excess reagent to be removed without degradation of the wood. Dimensional stability measurements on 12 species of acetylated wood indicated reductions in swelling of 70 to 80 percent on exposure to moisture for all species. Acetylated pine becomes resistant to wood-destroying fungi and termites at a weight gain of about 18 percent. The impact strength of acetylated wood has not been decreased by the treatment, and the wet compressive strength has been doubled. Billets of wood as large as 2 by 6 by 48 inches were uniformly acetylated in this study.

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