Use of modified nanoparticles in wood materials for reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

1. A method for reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from a wood based panel by treating a wood-based panel comprising applying to the wood based panel nanoparticles, modified with at least one compound of the general formula (I)

R a SiX (4-a)   (I)

wherein

X is H, OH or a hydrolysable moiety selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkoxy, carboxyl, amino, monoalkylamino or dialkylamino, aryloxy, acyloxy, and alkylcarbonyl;

R is a non-hydrolysable organic moiety R selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted and unsubstituted alkinyl, substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkyl, and substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkenyl, which may be interrupted by —O— or —NH—, and

wherein R has at least one functional group Q selected from a group consisting of an epoxide, hydroxyl, ether, amino, monoalkylamino, dialkylamino, substituted and unsubstituted aniline, amide, carboxyl, alkynyl, acryloyl, acryloyloxy, methacryloyl, methacryloyloxy, mercapto, cyano, alkoxy, isocyanate, aldehyde, alkylcarbonyl, acid anhydride, aryl, and phosphoric acid group, and wherein

a=1, 2, or 3.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein X is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, C 1-6 -alkoxy, C 6-10 -aryloxy, C 2-7 -acyloxy, C 2-7 -alkylcarbonyl, and monoalkylamino or dialkylamino with C 1 to C 12 .

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted C 1-30 -alkyl, substituted and unsubstituted C 2-6 -alkenyl, substituted and unsubstituted C 3-8 -cycloalkyl, and substituted and unsubstituted C 3-8 -cycloalkenyl.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, s-butyl, t-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, cyclohexyl, vinyl, 1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, butenyl, acetylenyl, propargyl, substituted and unsubstituted butadienyl, and substituted and unsubstituted cyclohexadienyl.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functional group Q is an amino group, a monoalkylamino group, an aryl group, a hydroxyl group, an acryl group, acryloxy group, methacryl group or a methacryloxy group, an epoxide group, and/or an isocyano group.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functional group Q is an amino group, hydroxyl group and/or phenyl group.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have a size between 2 and 400 nm.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have a specific surface area of 50 to 500 m 2 /g.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are oxidic, hydroxidic or oxyhydroxidic nanoparticles.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modified nanoparticles reduce the level of aldehydes released from wood shavings used in the wood based panel.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modified nanoparticles reduce the level of terpenes released from wood shavings used in the wood based panel.

12. A process for producing a wood based panel having reduced emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), comprising the following process steps:

a) producing woodchips from suitable woods;

b) converting the woodchips to wood shavings;

c) intermediately storing the wood shavings;

d) drying the wood shavings;

e) sorting or sifting the wood shavings according to the size of the wood shavings;

f) applying the wood shavings to a conveyor belt by means of wind-sifting and/or throwsifting, thereby forming a mat of scattered material; and

g) pressing the wood shavings arranged on the conveyor belt,

wherein

at least one suspension comprising nanoparticles modified with at least one compound of the general formula (I) is added before, during and/or after one of steps b) to g), and further wherein

the suspension comprising the modified nanoparticles is mixed with at least one glue to be applied, is applied to the wood shavings simultaneously with the glue to be applied, sprayed onto the wood shavings before they are dried, or sprayed onto the mat of scattered wood shavings prior to pressing.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the suspension is in the form of an aqueous solution having a proportion of modified nanoparticles of at least 40% by weight.

14. A wood based panel produced according to the process of claim 12 .

15. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the suspension is an aqueous solution comprising, by weight, at least 20% modified nanoparticles.