Durable protection of the surface of wood used outdoors: material constraints, problems and approaches to solutions

The aesthetic durability of wooden structures is a major challenge for the use of this material in construction. Wood is used for its technical performances but also for its architectural qualities and its aesthetic perception. The premature aging of the wooden structures is detrimental because these disorders, even if they do not affect the strength of the structures, are mostly irremediable. The surface protection of wood is generally ensured by the use of a finish, whose essential role is to protect wood from climatic aggressions (water, solar radiation, oxygen, ...). The secondary wood processing industry consists of a series of manufacturing and processing activities, each containing a portion of the added value of the product. The application of a finish on a wood-based work is usually the last and most visible step in this value chain.In outdoor use, the protection of the wood surface with transparent finishes is not yet sufficiently durable to be able to compete with materials used in industrial carpentry such as PVC or aluminum. Opaque finishes generally provide more durable protection but they mask the appearance of the wood sought by users.With the aim of positioning wood in this construction sector, research on transparent finishes has focused on the efficiency and improvement of the durability of the protection of the surface appearance of structures. Faced with climatic aggressions, the optimum conservation of a structure is not only linked to the performance of the finish but also to the characteristics of the wood material. In particular, in order to fulfill its protective function, the finish film must be able to follow the dimensional variations of the wood it covers without breaking and without detachment. In addition to the criteria for the effectiveness of finishes in the protection of structures, the environmental impact must be considered with increasing attention. Currently, more than 80% of composite or solid wood products are still protected with solvent-based liquid products, which are an important source of VOC emissions. Does the solution come from photo-polymerizable systems that can be formulated with 100% dry matter either in liquid phase in reactive diluents or powdered?