Influence of polymers loaded with ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles on thermal resistance of archaeological Wood

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of Regalers 1126, Regalers 1094, and Polyurethane with and without zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) on the thermal resistance of archaeological wood. Cedar and sycamore woods were selected as archaeological woods and aging was performed at 100°C for 400 hours, which is equivalent to 25 years. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to study the change in the functional groups. The X-ray analysis (XRD) examined the change of wood crystallization of woods after the consolidation process. Moreover, the changes in the morphology of untreated and treated woods were identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the thermal stability of untreated and treated woods was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The mechanical decay of treated cedar and sycamore woods by consolidation materials were described. Correspondingly, the color change as indicated by CIE Lab color coordinates of consolidated woods after aging was investigated and the color change rate of sycamore wood is higher than that of cedar wood after the consolidation process. Finally, utilize of TiO2-NPs played a larger role in the weight gain and mechanical properties of samples than ZnO-NPs after the consolidation procedure.