Poplar (Populus cathayana) wood was impregnated successively by organo-montmorillonite (OMMT; in concentration of 2%) and furfuryl alcohol (FA, in concentrations of 15%, 30% and 50%) in a two-step method to prepare OMMT-FA modified wood. The modified wood samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Moreover, wood physical and antiseptic properties, including the weight percent gain (WPG), the water absorption, anti-swelling efficiency, and decay resistance were investigated. The results showed that: (1) Sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) is successfully transformed to OMMT within wood by in situ synthesis and the MMT sheets are adhered to the wood pits and the cell lumens; (2) The incorporation of FA resin combined with OMMT into poplar wood leads to increased weight percent gain, dramatically enhanced dimensional stability and water resistance; (3) Even at very low loading level of OMMT, the decay resistance of the modified wood is greatly enhanced.

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