Accelerated weathering performance of impregnated wood samples coated with zinc by means of plasma-assisted particle deposition

Abstract

Many different methods are currently applied for wood protection against outdoor conditions. The most important of these is the process of impregnation with liquid substances. However, this kind of wood preservatives cannot provide a long-term protection of wooden surfaces. Weathering-resistant surfaces can be obtained by applying UV absorbing agents. In this study, the influence of zinc particles applied by a plasma process at atmospheric pressure against UV light was investigated. First, wood samples were impregnated with boric acid, tall oil or copper azole. After impregnation, the samples were coated with zinc (Zn) particles, and coated and uncoated samples were exposed to accelerated weathering tests. The changes of the surface properties of the treated and untreated wood samples were studied by color changes, glossiness. Physical properties such as color changes, glossiness and surface roughness decreased for the samples coated with Zn particles. Brightness values also increased with the increasing weathering period.