The impregnation process of Scots pine and beech samples with tannin solutions was investigated. The two materials involved in the process (impregnation solution and wood samples) are studied in depth. Viscosity of mimosa tannin solutions and the anatomical aspect of beech and Scots pine were analysed and correlated. The viscosity of tannin solutions presents a non-newtonian behaviour when its pH level increases, and in the case of addition of hexamine as a hardener, the crosslinking of the flavonoids turns out to be of great importance. During the impregnation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), the liquid and solid uptakes were monitored while taking into consideration the different conditions of the impregnation process. This method allowed to identify the best conditions needed in order to get a successful preservative uptake for each wooden substrate. The penetration mechanism within the wood of both species was revealed with the aid of a microscopic analysis. Scots pine is impregnated through the tracheids in the longitudinal direction and through parenchyma rays in the radial direction, whereas in beech, the penetration occurs almost completely through longitudinal vessels.

The remarkable biological properties of tanninboron wood preservatives for outdoor applications have been investigated recently (Thevenon et al. in Eur. J. Wood Prod. 67:89, 2009). In the present paper mechanical and fire-proofing attributes of these formulations are determined. Mechanical properties of Scots pine and beech specimens treated with tannin-based formulations were examined in compression and bending strength tests and surface hardness was determined. The tannin-hexamine formulations reticulated into the wood structure improve the strength of the treated specimens. The treated samples which underwent compression, bending, hardness and gluing tests showed improvements of on average 20%.Fire tests have been monitored regarding short and long flame exposure time. Short tests such as ignition, flame and ember time have allowed the ignition of the fire to be simulated, while the weight loss tests have provided a good overview of the behavior of the specimens during prolonged fire. A positive effect on fire-resistance is shown when wood is treated with tannin formulations. The fire-proofing properties of the resin have been upgraded adding boron and phosphorus. The ember time of the pieces treated using this method can be reduced by up to ten times.

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CP MAS13 C NMR spectra of hardened resins have shown that urethane bridges derived from the reaction of the isocyanate group with the hydroxymethyl group of urea do form even at fast curing times comparable to what was used in the wood panels industry, in lower proportions than what was shown earlier. Polyureas and biurets obtained from the reaction of isocyanate with water are the predominant crosslinking reactions of pMDI alone and in UF/pMDI resin systems under fast curing conditions. Residual, unreacted isocyanate groups in the hardened network are consistently observed. Their proportion markedly decreases when the original proportion of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin is high and that of pMDI is low. Under these fast curing conditions, the UF resin appears to self-condense through an unusually high proportion of methylene ether links rather than methylene bridges alone. A marked proportion of residual, unreacted hydroxymethyl groups is also noticeable, initially, in the UF self-condensation network. Direct NMR tests on thin hardboard bonded under fast pressing conditions with different proportions of UF/pMDI confirmed that crosslinking due to polyureas and biurets formation are predominant in the crosslinking of pMDI when alone and in UF/pMDI resin systems. They confirmed that residual, unreacted isocyanate groups are present in the finished panel. Their proportion is higher when the proportion of pMDI in the system is high. The presence or absence of urethanes could not be confirmed directly on the panels as the relevant peaks are masked by the wood carbohydrates signals of wood cellulose and hemicelluloses.

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