Surfactants have been used in biomass processing to improve yield in pulping operations, facilitate enzymatic hydrolysis, modify the interactions with additives and biomolecules and in the impregnation of wood for biocide delivery or as a pretreatment step. Effective wood impregnation usually implies the use of high pressures and temperatures to facilitate fluid uptake. We formulated Surfactant-Oil-Water (SOW) systems as alternative to wood impregnation at atmospheric pressure and temperatures. Proposed formulations were used in flooding experiments where mass gain was monitored in-situ and in real time. Compared to the base fluids, penetration by the complex fluids occurred faster and to a larger extent. The kinetics of penetration was found to be affected by the formulation of the complex fluid and the physical and chemical characteristics of the substrate.

Using surfactant-based complex fluids to flood the capillary structure of wood

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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