Coating acetylated wood

Abstract

Wood exposed to the outdoor environment is susceptible to weathering due to a series of chemical, biological and physical processes. Acetylation of wood is known to reduce cell wall moisture content, improve dimensional stability and durability against fungal decay. As a result of these improvements, less stress is created between the coating and the wood surface improving the performance of the coating and increasing its useful lifetime. This paper is a review of research done on the chemistry of the acetylation process, the coating performance of acetylated wood and concentrates on the factors influencing coating performance.