Application of wood as a green and sustainable material is restricted due to its easy wrapping property, deformation, biological degradation and thermal instability. Coupling thermal treatment and silica sol penetration could overcome the weakness of natural wood, and synergistically improve the overall performance. Thermal treatment showed a significant effect on hydrophobicity, hygroscopicity, surface color and compressive strength. It reduced the compressive strength to some extent due to the degradation of cell wall polymers (hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose). At above 200 ℃, the degradation of cell wall polymers, rather than hornification, was in the leading position, dominating the compressive strength. Changes in the component and structure of cell walls (chemical and physical environment) helped the penetration and deposition of silica sol owing to extra channels and enlarged pore size. Satisfied silica sol incorporation in thermally treated wood further improved the surface hydrophobicity, dimensional stability, surface hardness, and compensated the reduction on compressive strength. It was attributed to the -OH consumption (cell wall polymers degradation) and filling effect caused by silica sol networks (Si-O-Si and Si-O-C bonds) in wood. The improved thermal stability was ascribed to the coverage effect of silica sol on the inner-surfaces of wood, which could be treated as a physical barrier to prevent heat conduction. Eventually, we proposed a mechanism concerning the combination treatment for preparing silica-mineralized wood. This work opens an eco-friendly way to produce bio-based materials with high quality to be used in outdoor applications or humid environments.

木材作为绿色和可持续材料的应用由于其易包裹性、变形、生物降解和热不稳定性而受到限制。耦合热处理和硅溶胶渗透可以克服天然木材的弱点，并协同提高整体性能。热处理对疏水性、吸湿性、表面颜色和抗压强度有显着影响。由于细胞壁聚合物（半纤维素、木质素和纤维素）的降解，它在一定程度上降低了抗压强度。在200 ℃以上时，细胞壁聚合物的降解而不是角化处于领先地位，主导着抗压强度。由于额外的通道和扩大的孔径，细胞壁成分和结构（化学和物理环境）的变化有助于硅溶胶的渗透和沉积。热处理木材中令人满意的硅溶胶掺入进一步提高了表面疏水性、尺寸稳定性、表面硬度，并补偿了抗压强度的降低。这归因于木材中硅溶胶网络（Si-O-Si 和 Si-OC 键）引起的 -OH 消耗（细胞壁聚合物降解）和填充效应。提高的热稳定性归因于硅溶胶对木材内表面的覆盖作用，可以将其视为阻止热传导的物理屏障。最后，我们提出了一种制备二氧化硅矿化木材的联合处理机制。