Protection of wood surfaces against photooxidation

Protection of wood surfaces against photoinduced oxidative degradation can be achieved by using effective coating agents. Several penetrating chemical agents, such as triol‐G 400, PEGG 400, and 1‐octadecanol, were shown to provide good protection for wood surfaces against discoloration during ultraviolet irradiation. In addition, wood surfaces coated with clear film‐forming finishes, such as homo‐ and copolymers of 2‐hydroxy‐4 (3‐methacryloxy‐2‐hydroxy‐propoxy) benzophenone, exhibited outstanding performance into inhibiting discoloration and surface deterioration. Infrared and ultraviolet absorption spectra and scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that the clear polymeric coatings containing an internal UV absorber were very stable and resistant to photooxidation. Possible chemistry and mechanisms of protection of wood surfaces provided by these polymeric coating systems are discussed.