WO2008077997A1

WO2008077997A1 - Cetraria islandica based wood protection and impregnation product

Info

Publication number: WO2008077997A1
Application number: PCT/FI2007/000303
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mika Tapio Reijonen
Original assignee: Mika Tapio Reijonen
Priority date: 2006-12-22
Filing date: 2007-12-21
Publication date: 2008-07-03
Also published as: FI20061155A0

Abstract

A product (5) is used to protect and/or impregnate wood. The product (5) includes an extract (4) of Cetraria islandica (1) or a part of this extract (4). The extract (4) can also include substances which are used in the extraction process, such as aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate, and the extract (4) is possible to neutralized or acided, and the extraction can be done with heating (3). The wooden material is protected and/or impregnated and dried with extract once or several times.

Description

CETRARIA ISLANDICA BASED WOOD PROTECTION AND IMPREGNATION PRODUCT

TECHNICAL FIELD

Here presented are some required properties for wood protection substances (O. Suolahti Laho ja sen torjunta. WSOY, Porvoo, 1961). These substances should be able to efficiently protect wood against fungus and insects. Wood protection products should also be harmless to humans, pets and cultivated plants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of Cetraπa islandica extracts have already been patented for several purposes, for example in veterinary use in the US patent 20030068294 Preparation for veterinary use.

Cetraπa islandica includes several different substances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland_moss retπeved 22 Dec 2006). Among these substances are lichen acids, like fumaric protocetraπc acid, lichesteric acid, protolichesteπc acid and protocetraπc acid. Lichen acids are bacteriostatic substances (http://www.tohtoπ.fi/?page=5184117&id=9123756 retπeved 22 Dec 2006).

Manufactuπng this kind of mixture in a laboratory is both difficult and expensive, especially since these substances are available from relatively quickly growing species. Cetraria islandica lichen grows abundantly for example in Finland and other Nordic countries, Russia, the United States, and Canada. Even though the need for ecologically safe wood protection substances is immediate, and Cetraria islandica is common species, its use for wood protection has not been presented before.

V. Jakala introducing in his patent FI 28544 ml 957 presented an oily wood protection agent. According to this patent, a protection substance, for example tar, can split when it dnes out If this happens, it will no longer provide efficient protection for wood against bacteria. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a Cetraria islandica (4) based wood protection and impregnation products (5). The essential thing in this invention is a water soluble wood protection product. Already in 1944 and 1959, the use of Cetraria islandica for leather barking and as a color pigment (http://web.uvic.ca/~stucraw/part2AM.html retrieved 22 Dec 2006) were presented. Tannins, which are included in Cetraria islandica, have their own distinctive properties ( L. Mingshu, Y. Kai, H. Qiang, J. Dongying. Journal of Basic Microbiology. VoI 46, 68 - 84 Review Biodegradation of gallotannins and ellagitannins http://www3.interscience.wiley.eom/cgi-bin/abstract/l 12396581/ABSTRACT retrieved 22 Dec 2006 and V. Cheynier. Polyphenols in foods are more complex than often thought. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 81, 1, 223s-229s, 2005 (http://www.ajcn.Org/cgi/content/abstract/81/l/223S retrieved 22 Dec 2006). Although Cetraria islandica has been used for a very long time for textile coloring purposes, its use as a wood protection product has not yet been invented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the studies it has been shown that Cetraria islandica is a potentially antioxidant source: I.Gulci, M. Oktay, O. I. Kufϊevioglu, A. Asia. Determination of antioxidant activity of lichen Cetraria islandica (L) Ach. The journal of Ethnopharmacology 79 (2002)325-329 retrieved 22 Dec 2006 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=118

49836&dopt=citat). Cetraria islandica is a safe substance in compliance with EC:s directive 2002/46/EC. During the last ten years, there has been extremely powerful research work towards environmentally safe wood protecting. Solving this problem it has appeared very difficult, and so there are still a lot of toxic substances, like tar in use.

For example in the book M. Klemola. Kasvivarjays. Tammi, Helsinki, 1978, there are presented several different coloring techniques, such as using different temperatures, processing times, acids and alkalines, and other chemicals. It is also possible to use the extract which includes polymers from Cetraria islandica, not only phenolic compounds. It is easy to extract these polymers from Cetraria islandica with boiling e.g. for three hours in water. Examples

Example 1

40 g dried Cetraria islandica (1) was put in 100 g water, where it was dissolved with 5 g sodium hydroxide (2). This mixture was boiled (3). The filtrated extract (4) was brushed to a piece of wood (5). This alkaline solution was allowed to dry out on the surface of the wood. After the drying the piece of wood (5) was brushed again with the extract (4). After two hours, the wood was washed with abundant water, and it was allowed to (5) to dry out in a room temperature. As a result, wood protection happened. In the examples, Cetraria islandica can be mixed mechanically before and/or during the extraction process.

Example 2

The same as the example 1, but using different, milder and less concentrated alkaline, but e.g. using sodium bicarbonate for achieving pH 8.

Example 3

In the examples 1 and 2, the extract can be neutralized with hydrochloric acid.

Example 4 In the examples 1 and 2, the extract can be acided with hydrochloric acid for achieving pH 5.

Example 5

Cetraria islandica can be put in to 50 ⁰C temperature alkaline solution for three hours, and then filtered. The filtrate is then used.

Example 6

Cetraria islandica can be put in to 50 ⁰C temperature alkaline solution for three hours, and then filtered, and the filtrate is neutralized or acided.

Example 7

According to the examples 1 and 2, Cetraria islandica can be boiled in water for three hours before the addition of the acid substances. For those skilled in the arts are clear that the use of the invention is not limited only to the presented details. For example the extraction process can be done with other ingredients than sodium hydroxide, for example a food soda. It is also possible to make derivations of the extract with known methods. It is also possible to change the pH of the extract, by adding acids in to it. In addition, other ingredients, like pigments and emulgators can be used to manufacture products with desired characteristics. With the different formulation of the extract, and with different process conditions, such as drying process, it is possible to achieve products that have different wood protection and impregnation characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG 1. The principle chart of manufacturing the Cetraria islandica extract and its use.

Claims

1. A product (5), which is used to protect and/or impregnate wood, includes an extract (4) of Cetraria islandica (1) or a part of this extract (4).

2. The extract according to a claim 1 includes derivations of Cetraria islandica extract or/and degradation products of Cetraria islandica.

3. The extract according to the claim 1 includes other substances which are used in the extraction process, such as aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (2), neutralized and/or added solution, such as hydrochloric acid.

4. The extract according to the claim 1 , extraction process is done only with water, and water temperature is 50-100 ⁰C in normal air pressure (3).

5. The extract according to the claim 1, low or high pressure is used in the extraction process.

6. The extract according to the claim 1, the extract (4) is a part of other products (5), such as a paint.

7. The extract according to the claim 1, other substances, such as color ingredients or emulgators, is added to the extract.

8. The extract according to the claim 1, the extract (4) is liquid, solid, powder or gas, or combinations thereof.

9. The use (5) of the extract (4) according to the claim 1, the extraction process is done with using normal, low or high pressure in different temperatures and different solvents, such as sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution with different concentrations.

10. The use (5) of the extract (4) according to the claim 1, the wooden material is protected and/or impregnated with the extract and dried once or several times.