‘Green’ approach to humidity protection

Wood is a renewable and sustainable construction material, yet its hygroscopic nature limits its durability in outdoor environments. Traditional protective coatings often utilise fluorinated chemicals or energy-intensive processes, contradicting the principles of green chemistry and sustainable development.

Researchers in China have developed a fluorine-free, energy-efficient strategy for fabricating self-healing super-hydrophobic coatings that autonomously restore their functionality at ambient temperature.

The coating is prepared via a one-step co-condensation process using octadecyl amine (ODA) and methyl trimethoxy silane (MTMS) in ethanol.

This avoids external energy input and hazardous substances, resulting in a surface with a hierarchical micro/nano structure, an ultra-low surface free energy of approximately 6 mJ/m², and a water contact angle exceeding 155°.

The coating exhibits remarkable self-healing capabilities, restoring its super-hydrophobicity within 36 hours after mechanical damage or plasma etching.

It retains this functionality for up to 43 cycles of damage and repair, alongside exceptional UV stability (water contact angle >140° after 936 hours) and resistance to neutral and alkaline media.

By significantly reducing water uptake and improving dimensional stability, the MTMS/ ODA coating extends the service life of wood in demanding outdoor conditions.

This scalable and fluorine-free solution offers a practical pathway to enhance wood durability while aligning with sustainable construction and green materials engineering principles. (Source: Organic Coatings)

 

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