The low ultraviolet (UV) light stability of wood in combination with rain and fungal attack limit its reliability and wider utilization in outdoor applications. The protection of wood surfaces without affecting their aesthetical appearance requires an optically transparent but UV protective coating that is strongly attached to the rough and inhomogeneous natural substrate. Our recent research objectives address the following three challenges. Firstly, we aim at highly transparent coatings, by a controlled formation of TiO2/Ce and ZnO films on wood surface. Secondly, we demonstrate that the transparent coatings not only diminish the surface deterioration induced by UV but also preserve the natural appearance of the high abundant biomaterial wood. Thirdly, we quantitatively analyse the influence of the inorganic coatings on wood degradation by four wood destroying basidiomycetes in terms of mass loss and decrease in hardness. It is concluded that the controlled formation of inorganic coatings on wood surfaces can protect the wood against weathering as well as against several wood destroying basidiomycetes, while preserving the natural appearance.
Keywords: UV protection, Antifungal, Weathering, Wood façade, Surface coating
Authors
Guo, H.
Wood Materials Science, IfB, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Applied Wood Materials, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Burgert, I.
Wood Materials Science, IfB, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Applied Wood Materials, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
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