Abstract
As a hydrophilic material, wood is difficult to utilize for external applications due to the variable weather conditions. In this study, an efficient, facile, and low-cost method was developed to enhance the hydrophobicity of wood. By applying the low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology, the polydimethylsiloxane-coated wood (PDMS@wood) with hydrophobic surface was fabricated employing dichlorodimethylsilane as the CVD chemical resource. The result of water contact angle (i.e., 157.3°) revealed the hydrophobic behavior of the PDMS@wood. The microstructures of the wood samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis verified PDMS successfully coated on wood surfaces. The chemical functional groups of the PDMS@wood were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectra. The thermogravimetric results indicated the enhanced thermal stability of the wood after PDMS coating. In addition, the stability test of PDMS@wood indicated that the hydrophobicity properties of the PDMS@wood samples were preserved after long-time storage (e.g., 30 days). The scratch test was carried out to examine the abrasion resistance of the hydrophobic coatings on PDMS@wood surface. It was suggested that low-temperature CVD process could be a successful approach for fabricating hydrophobic wood.
Highlights
Wood is a low-cost and abundant forest biomass material, which plays a dominant role in the proper performance in every field, e.g., furniture, artworks, buildings, etc. [1]
For the enhancement of dimensional stability, the wood surface can be modified by the hydrophobic treatment to reduce the wood sensitivity with the change of environmental humidity and the risk of wood moisture absorption [11]
The wood samples were vacuumed to facilitate hydrophobic gas to enter the wood for reaction
Summary
Wood is a low-cost and abundant forest biomass material, which plays a dominant role in the proper performance in every field, e.g., furniture, artworks, buildings, etc. [1]. It is generally known that wood is multifunctional, environmentally friendly, and a renewable resource with numerous advantages, for examples, high strength-to-weight ratio, high impact resistance, high processability, and the regulation function of air temperature and humidity [2,3,4]. The environment impact of natural materials (for examples, flax fibers and wood) is lower than that of glass or carbon composites [5,6,7]. Due to the hygro-expansion caused by moisture absorption, wood is highly dimensionally unstable, restricting its wide application [8]. For the enhancement of dimensional stability, the wood surface can be modified by the hydrophobic treatment to reduce the wood sensitivity with the change of environmental humidity and the risk of wood moisture absorption [11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
