Coating performance of finishes on wood modified with an N-methylol compound

This study describes the effects of wood modification with modified 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (mDMDHEU) on the coating performance of solvent- and water-borne finishes. Although the basic colour of wood was slightly changed due to the modification, modified and unmodified samples did not display any colour differences after coating with translucent stains. Blocking of coated wooden substrates (degree of adhesiveness) was dependant on the type of finish system and, in a few cases, on the wood substrate. For all wood substrates, both treated and untreated, solvent-borne alkyd finish penetrated into the surface layers of the wood cells, while water-borne acrylic finishes spread only on the wood surfaces. The solvent-borne alkyd finish dried much more slowly on wood substrates than did the water-borne acrylics. Modification with mDMDHEU did not affect the drying rates of the finishes tested. The wet adhesion depended on the finish systems tested and on the pre-treatment of the wooden substrate. With regard to the pre-treatment, wet adhesion of one water-borne and the solvent-borne finish systems was significantly enhanced through precedent modification with mDMDHEU. The other two water-borne finish systems showed a higher degree of wet adhesion. This study demonstrates that modification of the wood substrate with mDMDHEU is compatible with both water-borne and solvent-borne finish systems and improves their wet adhesion on the wood surface.