The Effect of Bone Glue on the Performance of Traditional Painted Furniture Ground Layers

Abstract

This research investigates how the inclusion of bone glue affects the performance of traditional painted furniture ground layers, particularly under dry–wet cycling conditions. The ground layers, applied to wood substrates in seven different ratios of bone glue to gypsum powder (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%), were tested for mass changes, dimensional stability, adhesion, and surface roughness. The results showed that higher bone glue content (especially 50% and 60%) led to improved stability, reduced mass fluctuations, and better dimensional stability. The 50% bone glue sample exhibited the best overall stability with minimal weight change (<1.6%) and reduced shrinkage. Adhesion strength increased with bone glue content, reaching 3.48 MPa at 60% bone glue. Lower bone glue content resulted in poor adhesion and visible defects such as cracking and blistering. SEM analysis confirmed that higher bone glue content enhanced bonding between the ground layer and the wood substrate.