Softened Wood Treated by Deep Eutectic Solvents

Due to its good physical properties, softened wood (SW) has been widely used in the fields of home furnishing, interior decoration, and construction, such as decorative panels, softened wood flooring, wooden bricks, and softened wood furniture. However, traditional methods of wood softening often fail to meet the requirements of enterprises for softening wood. Here, inspired by the research related to wood softening, we propose a method for directly preparing softened wood (SW) using a new type of ionic liquid eutectic solvent (DES) owing to its low cost, environmental friendliness, recyclability, and other advantages. To improve the adaptability of the study, a total of five types of DESs were designed and prepared, and by the microwave-assisted DES treatment of natural wood (NW), the purpose of softening wood was achieved. Then, we conducted a series of comparative analyses and performance tests on NW and SW, including microscopic images, chemical composition, color difference, and mechanical properties. The results show that the wood softened by DES has become a highly porous network structure, and partial lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose have been removed. At the same time, different degrees of color change, lower hardness, excellent mechanical flexibility, and a compression rebound rate of up to about 90% are obtained. The above-mentioned various properties of SW provide great potential for its application in wood products.