Hyperbranched organic-inorganic co-modification improves the strength, dimensional stability, and thermal stability of poplar wood

High-strength, dimensionally-stable, moisture-absorbing, and heat-insulating materials are critical for ensuring the safety of building structures and human comfort. As a natural moisture-adjusting and heat-insulating material, wood is widely used in buildings, but its low strength and flammability pose safety hazards. This paper reports a simple method to construct an organic-inorganic hyperbranched structure in poplar wood (WSi-Al-EP). The bending and compressive strength of WSi-Al-EP reached 103.50 MPa and 80.41 MPa, respectively. This composite wood material exhibited high strength and stable performance, and it also improved the shortcomings of traditional inorganic-modified materials such as unstable sizes and the loss of modifiers. Moreover, the material did not burn in a long-term high-temperature flame, indicating its heat and combustion resistance, and showing that it can be used in wooden building structures.