Silicate coatings are surface finishing products containing alkali metal silicates or ethyl silicates as main binders. They are traditionally designed and well established for mineral substrates or corrosion protection of steel. The interest for these coatings in wood field is growing because of the benefits they could provide such as high durability, weathering resistance and fireproofing and sustainability. Contrary to conventional substrates (concrete, stones, steel), wood is organic, a highly dimensionally instable material. So, a durable coating for wood must meet a compromise between adhesion, liquid water and water vapour permeability and its flexibility. This is essential to accommodate surface strains developed, when wood swells and shrinks, to avoid cracking and debonding. Appropriate formulation combining painstakingly inorganic and organic components with eventually surface pre-treatments could overcome the adhesion and flexibility drawbacks related to wood finishing and weathering. Few silicate-based products for wood are already in the markets, but scientific literature in the field remains not significant and inaccurate. This poster paper presents an ongoing research project financially supported by The Slovenian National Research Agency (ARSS) under the frame of EU Marie Curie “Seal of excellence” and the University of Ljubljana. The project will provide outstanding basic-knowledge correlating formulations-coating properties–weathering and potential improvements for development of new products and application processes.
Keywords: wood, coatings, silicate, water glass, flexibility, adhesion