Process for improving the durability, dimensional stability and surface hardness of a wood body

1. A process for the production of a wood body, comprising

impregnating an untreated wood body with an aqueous solution of

A) an impregnating agent selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with a C 1-5 -alcohol, a polyol or mixtures thereof, 1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one, dimethylolurea, bis(methoxymethyl)urea, tetramethylolacetylenediurea, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)imidazolidin-2-one, methylolmethylurea and mixtures thereof, and

B) a catalyst selected from the group consisting of the metal salts, ammonium salts, organic acids, inorganic acids and mixtures thereof, and

hardening the wood body impregnated with the aqueous solution while maintaining humid conditions at elevated temperature.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the impregnating agent used is A) 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with a C 1-5 - alcohol, a polyol or mixtures thereof.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the impregnating agent used is A) 1, 3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with a C 1-5 -alcohol, a polyol or a mixture thereof.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an impregnating agent C) selected from the group consisting of a C 1-5 -alcohol, a polyol and mixtures thereof is concomitantly used.

5. The process as claimed in claim 4 , wherein methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, n-pentanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,2- and 1,3-propylene glycol, 1,2-, 1,3- and 1,4-butylene glycol, glycerol, polyethylene glycols of the formula HO(CH 2 Ch 2 O) n H, where n is from 3 to 20, or mixtures thereof are concomitantly used.

6. The process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein methanol, diethylene glycol or a mixture thereof is concomitantly used.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the impregnating agents A) and, optionally C) are used in a concentration of from 1 to 60% by weight in the aqueous solution.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein metal salts selected from the group consisting of metal halides, metal sulfates, metal nitrates, metal tetrafluoroborates, metal phosphates and mixtures thereof are used as catalyst B).

9. The process as claimed in claim 8 , wherein metal salts selected from the group consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, zinc chloride, lithium chloride, lithium bromide, boron trifluoride, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfate, zinc nitrate, sodium tetrafluoroborate and mixtures thereof are used as catalyst B).

10. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein ammonium salts selected from the group consisting of ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium oxalate, diammonium phosphate and mixtures thereof are used as catalyst B).

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein organic or inorganic acids selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, formic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, oxalic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, boric acid and mixtures thereof are used as catalyst B).

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein magnesium chloride is used as catalyst B).

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst B) is used in a concentration of from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the amount of the impregnating agents A) and, optionally, C).

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the impregnated wood body is hardened at a relative humidity of from 50 to 100%.

15. The process as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the impregnated wood body is hardened at a relative humidity of from 80 to 100%.

16. The process as claimed claim 1 , wherein the impregnated wood body is hardened at a temperature of from 70 to 130° C.

17. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the impregnated wood body is hardened over a period of from 1 to 72 hours.

18. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein after the impregnation, the wood body is fixed so that a change in the shape of the wood body during the hardening is counteracted.

19. A wood body , obtained by the process as claimed in claim 1 .

20. A process for the production of a wood body, comprising

impregnating an untreated wood body with an aqueous solution of

A) an impregnating agent selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one, 1,3 -bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with a C 1-5 -alcohol, a polyol or mixtures thereof, 1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one, dimethylolurea, bis(methoxymethyl)urea, tetramethylolacetylenediurea, 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)imidazolidin-2-one, methylolmethylurea and mixtures thereof,

B) a catalyst selected from the group consisting of the metal salts, ammonium salts, organic acids, inorganic acids and mixtures thereof,

C) an impregnating agent selected from the group consisting of a C1-5-alcohol, a polyol, and mixtures thereof, and water, and

hardening the wood body impregnated with the aqueous solution while maintaining humid conditions at elevated temperature.

21. A wood body, obtained by the process as claimed in claim 20 .

22. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnating agent A) is 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with methanol.

23. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnating agent A) is 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with diethylene glycol.

24. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnating agent A) is 1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4,5-dihydroxyimidazolidin-2-one modified with a mixture of methanol and diethylene glycol.

25. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnated wood body is hardened at a relative humidity of from 50 to 100% at a temperature of from 70 to 130° C.

26. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnated wood body is hardened at a relative humidity of from 80 to 100% at a temperature of from 80 to 100° C.