Protecting wood against moisture and UV light
Researchers have inroduced a multifunctional polyvinyl butyral nanocomposite wood coating by cellulose nanocrystal/ZnO nanofiller and studied its hydrophobic and UV-resistance properties.
A recent trend in wood conservation involves studying new materials that are more efficient, as well as improving existing materials that have promising features such as being less toxic, eco-friendly, reversible, and highly compatible with wood. One area of research has focused on the use of a new PVB nanocomposite wood coating with nanocrystalline cellulose/ZnO nanofibers. This coating has been found to provide protection against moisture and UV light.
Preventing photochemical degradation
SEM images confirmed the presence of a homogeneous nanocomposite layer that adhered well to the wood surface and penetrated the inner surface. Comparison of wood treated with neat PVB and the new nanocomposites PVB/CNCs/ZnO after UV light aging revealed a significant reduction in ΔE by increasing the amount of ZnO. Additionally, adding content of CNCs nanoparticles in the nanocomposite matrix led to improvements in colour changes. However, these changes were not noticeable when compared to the uncoated sample. ATR-FTIR spectrum analysis showed that samples with a high amount of ZnO and CNCs performed better against photochemical degradation.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 179, June 2023.
