Carbon Capture and Storage through Upcycling of Suberinic Acid Residues in Wood Composites Finishing

Abstract

Finishing coatings used in the wood-based composite industry play a key role in the final appearance of the finished product. However, the use of such coatings is not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to protect the product against surface damage and moisture or to minimize the emission of harmful substances. The latter is an extremely important factor in terms of safety for both the manufacturer and the user, which is why the emissivity test is one of the most important tests conducted in this case. Carbon-rich materials, such as those remaining from the extraction of birch bark, can fulfill the role of minimizing the emission of harmful substances. In this article, an attempt to create coatings in the form of a film by combining a biopolymer with suberinic acid residues (SARs) was made. Two types of biopolymers were used, polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), in various polymer–SAR ratios. Suberinic acid as a residue is a raw material that can potentially contribute positively to the fixing of CO2 from the atmosphere, which creates the possibility for further use. As part of this study, the obtained coatings were tested in terms of scratch resistance, relative hardness, cold liquids, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), formaldehyde emission, surface absorption, etc. Differences between the polymers used and the effect of the SAR additive on selected surface properties were demonstrated. The addition of carbon-rich SAR significantly improves gas barrier properties of the PLA- and PCL-based surface finishing materials. The relative hardness and scratch resistance also increased with rising SAR content. However, the increasing content of SAR filler acts as a limiter in the depth of penetration of the deposited surface finishing materials onto the wood surface. It is possible to state that this innovative approach regarding (1) the utilization of biopolymers as a matrix, instead of conventional, crude oil-based resins, and (2) the incorporation of post-processed carbon-rich waste lignocellulosic materials to produce the surface finishing and/or protective films has been confirmed.

Valorization of Tree Bark-Derived Suberin in Applications for the Bio-Based Composites Industry–A Recent Review

“…The addition of carbon-rich SAR significantly improves gas barrier properties of the PLA-and polycaprolactone-PCL-based surface finishing materials. The relative hardness and scratch resistance also increased with rising SAR content [43].…”

“…Biopolyester base Lubricant Filler/addition SA as biopolyester syntetic foam [40] Suberinic acids residues (SAR) as fillers in PLA and PCL matrix [43] SA-impregnated fibers [42] Cross-linked epoxidized linseed oli/suberin films [41] Self-associating suberin-based biopolyester film [44] SA added to hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films [34] Another potential of introducing suberin to the surface of the material is fire resistance. Although considerable progress has been made in developing applications for suberin through trial and error, there is scope for theoretical development.…”

Evaluation of Resistance Properties of Selected Surface Treatments on Medium Density Fibreboards

“…It is important to understand the interface of the surface of woodbased composites, the laminated sheet or coating film, and the various interaction forces and interaction constraints. Innovative technological approaches in this field, such as plasma treatment of the surface of wood-based composites, can increase the polar component of surface energy and in total, the surface energy and thus the surface hydrophilicity of wood-based materials [29,30] or the utilisation of various biodegradable, renewable raw materials in wood composite surface finishing [31,32].…”