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Role of α-Fe2O3 nano-particles in protecting wood from ultraviolet light degradation

  • Tengfei Yi ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Jeffrey J. Morrell
Published/Copyright: April 27, 2023
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Holzforschung
From the journal Holzforschung Volume 77 Issue 6

Abstract

The incorporation of nano-particles into coatings to protect wood against UV light has tremendous potential for improving coating performance. However, the understanding of the mechanisms by which these particles function on wood surfaces remains limited. The distribution and potential chemical interactions between alpha Fe2O3 and wood were studied. The ability of different sizes of Fe2O3 particles to intercept various wavelengths of light was assessed using ultraviolet/visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy using TiO2 and ZnO particles for comparison. All particles intercepted UV light, but α-Fe2O3 also intercepted a portion of the visible spectrum which might help explain its better performance. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis of α-Fe2O3 nano-particle distribution on different wood orientations of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) and shining gum (Eucalyptus nitens) showed that iron particles were uniformly distributed on both pine and shining gum, but provided better UV protection to the more permeable radiata pine surfaces. Characterization of chemical interactions between α-Fe2O3 and isolated lignin and cellulose by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) suggested substantial interactions between these particles and lignin components, but little interaction with cellulose. The results suggest that the role of nano-particles in the UV protection of wood surface is to intercept and disperse the light energy while interacting with the wood.

Keywords: chemical interaction; nano-particles; surface distribution; ultraviolet/visible (UV–vis) property; wood surface
Corresponding author: Tengfei Yi, National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia, E-mail:

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Mr Matt Pappalardo and Dr Amanda Norton (University of the Sunshine Coast) for their help with the SEM analysis and Dr Luis Yermán (University of Queensland) for his assistance with the FTIR analysis.

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: This study was funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC no. 201808530496) and the Higher Degrees by Research Support Grant (HDRSG) funding from the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC).

  3. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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Received: 2023-01-05
Accepted: 2023-04-11
Published Online: 2023-04-27
Published in Print: 2023-06-27

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Wood Physics/Mechanical Properties
  3. Effects of seismic strain rates on the perpendicular-to-grain compression behaviour of Dahurian larch, Mongolian pine and Chinese poplar: tests and stress-strain model
  4. The effect of the growth ring orientation on spring-back and set-recovery in surface-densified wood
  5. Synergistic improvement to dimensional stability of Populus cathay ana via hemicellulose removal/alkali lignin impregnation
  6. Adding gaseous ammonia with heat treatment to improve the mechanical properties of spruce wood
  7. Wood as a hydrothermally stimulated shape-memory material: mechanisms of shape-memory effect and molecular assembly structure networks
  8. Wood Chemistry
  9. Structural comparison of different isolated eucalyptus lignins and analysis of their interaction mechanism with bovine serum albumin solution under QCM-D
  10. Role of α-Fe2O3 nano-particles in protecting wood from ultraviolet light degradation
  11. Wood Science – Non-Tree Plants
  12. Radial distribution of vascular bundle morphology in Chinese bamboos: machine learning methodology for rapid sampling and classification
https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2023-0001
Keywords for this article
chemical interaction; nano-particles; surface distribution; ultraviolet/visible (UV–vis) property; wood surface

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Wood Physics/Mechanical Properties
  3. Effects of seismic strain rates on the perpendicular-to-grain compression behaviour of Dahurian larch, Mongolian pine and Chinese poplar: tests and stress-strain model
  4. The effect of the growth ring orientation on spring-back and set-recovery in surface-densified wood
  5. Synergistic improvement to dimensional stability of Populus cathay ana via hemicellulose removal/alkali lignin impregnation
  6. Adding gaseous ammonia with heat treatment to improve the mechanical properties of spruce wood
  7. Wood as a hydrothermally stimulated shape-memory material: mechanisms of shape-memory effect and molecular assembly structure networks
  8. Wood Chemistry
  9. Structural comparison of different isolated eucalyptus lignins and analysis of their interaction mechanism with bovine serum albumin solution under QCM-D
  10. Role of α-Fe2O3 nano-particles in protecting wood from ultraviolet light degradation
  11. Wood Science – Non-Tree Plants
  12. Radial distribution of vascular bundle morphology in Chinese bamboos: machine learning methodology for rapid sampling and classification
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