Durability and Modification of Wood Surfaces

Dear Colleagues,

Wood is a biomaterial with a unique structure, and its surface is the result of the interaction of wood processing technologies, raw wood material, and time. The surface of wood significantly affects the visual appearance and tactile properties of wood and can affect the process of gluing and coating. Wood interacts with its environment through its surfaces, and various physical, biological, and chemical factors can cause significant changes or even degradation and decay of wood. Most of these changes take place on the surface or start from the surface. The type of environmental factors to which the wood surface is exposed as well as the length of exposure will affect the durability of the wood surface. To ensure long-term performance in both interior and exterior applications, wood should be protected by appropriate coating systems or by surface modification treatments. Various physical, chemical, or combined (physical and chemical) wood surface modification methods can improve surface properties, such as increased adhesion property, improved wettability, enhanced water repellence, etc. Innovative modification treatments based on nanotechnology are promising for wood surfaces where the general trend requires as few visible changes as possible due to environmental and economic concerns as well as for aesthetic reasons. This Special Issue covers all methods of surface modification which can improve UV and weathering durability, decay resistance, mechanical durability, fire retardancy, and hydrophobicity of wood surface or improve its compatibility with adhesives and coatings. The aim of this Special Issue is to increase the knowledge of wood surface modification by collecting the latest research information.

Prof. Dr. Vlatka Jirous-Rajkovic
Guest Editor

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