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Abstract
In this study, wood specimens were coated with water-borne silsesquioxane oligomers by an in situ sol-gel deposition process. The effect of these water-borne sol-gel thin films on weathering characteristics and moisture-uptake properties of the wood specimens were investigated. The weathering characteristics were investigated by exposure of the specimens to artificial weathering conditions in a Weather-Ometer™. Water vapor uptake properties were determined by equilibrating the specimens in controlled humidity chambers, and liquid water uptake properties were determined by immersing the specimens in water over a period of 28 days. After exposure to artificial weathering conditions, subtle differences were observed between the erosion patterns of the sol-gel-coated and the non-coated specimens. Compared with the noncoated controls, the sol-gel coated specimens showed lower weight losses. There were also differences in lightness, chromaticity, and color changes of the sol-gel coated compared with the non-coated specimen surfaces. Moisture-uptake properties of both coated and non-coated specimens were practically similar.
Keywords
Weathering,
water-borne silsesquioxane oligomers,
sol-gel thin films,
coating systems,
wood surfaces,
wood deterioration,
coatings,
thin films,
moisture,
water repellents,
wood moisture,
weathering,
color fading,
Thuja plicata,
western redcedar,
stabilizing agents,
photodegradation,
accelerated life testing,
humidity,
sol-gel deposition,
moisture content,
resistance to decay,
wood decay,
durability,
discoloration,
photostabilizers,
western redcedar,
surface properties,
accelerated testing,
silsequioxane oligomers,
exposure tests,
surface properties,
water vapor
Citation
Tshabalala, M. A.; Starr, C.; Sutherland, N. R. 2010. Weathering characteristics and moisture uptake properties of wood coated with water-borne sol-gel thin films. In: PRA's 7th International Woodcoatings Congress : "Reducing the environmental footprint", The Netherlands, 12-13 October 2010 congress papers [electronic resource]. Hampton : PRA Coatings Technology Centre, c2010 [1 CD-ROM]: 11 p.: ISBN: 9780956135728.
