Study shows tree bark waste coating can protect wood

Researchers from Stockholm University, Sweden, and Biorefinery Laboratory, Latvia, have produced an alternative to synthetic wood coatings.

The fully biobased wood coating system is made from birch and spruce bark, and is said to outperform the water resistance of conventional synthetic coatings.

Subernic acids from birch and polyphenols from spruce combine to form a waterborne suspension that is reportedly safe and easy to apply.

‘Polyphenols play a dual role in stabilising the water-insoluble suberinic acids, while also acting as nanofillers to enhance the coating’s mechanical properties,’ explains Fengyang Wang from Stockholm.

The use of tree bark waste from local sources will help ease supply worries and ease environmental impact.

The research is published in Materials Horizon and is open access.

The project is part of BarkBuild, with financial contributions from the Swedish Energy Agency.