New Method of Wood Impregnation with Inorganic Compounds Using Ethyl Methylimidazolium Chloride as Carrier

In this paper, a novel method for wood surface impregnation with inorganic compounds, such as titanium dioxide, wolfram trioxide, and calcium metasilicate, using an alkylimidazolium ionic liquid as solvent-carrier is presented. The aforementioned compounds are able to diffuse into the wood surface and form an even coating that provides higher dimensional stability in wood as well as higher Brinell hardness as compared to non-impregnated materials. The main advantage of the proposed method of impregnation is the use of an eco-friendly ionic liquid, avoiding volatile organic compounds. In addition, the process saves time and energy, as it is faster and requires considerably lower temperatures (40°C as compared to 100–200°C with conventional processes of impregnation).