No abstract

Plantation poplar is one of the most commonly used fast-growing woods in China. However, it can be easily weathered by climatic conditions (such as sunlight irradiation, rain, temperature change and oxidation), resulting in the degradation of wood properties. UV-induced discoloration is a noticeable issue to wood for outdoor use. In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were modified onto the surface of wood via 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (IPTS) bridge. Artificial accelerated QUV weathering tests were carried out to evaluate the anti-weathering properties after IPTS-TiO2 modification. During treatment, TiO2 nanoparticles were bonded with IPTS and grafted onto the wood surface with isocyanate group. TiO2 nanoparticles played a role as UV filter, reducing degradation, and IPTS helped reduce the discoloration of wood. From FTIR results, the photodegradation of lignin was inhibited effectively during the weathering process. After artificial weathering, the values of L*, a* and b* of the IPTS-TiO2 treated wood were 80.16, 5.27 and 21.06, respectively. The results suggest the feasibility of IPTS-TiO2 modification for improving the anti-weathering properties of polar wood and providing an effective strategy for industrial wood modification.