Ghazanfar Sheikh | ALES Graduate Seminar

Event details: A graduate exam seminar is a presentation of the student’s final research project for their degree.
This is an ALES MSc Final Exam Seminar by Ghazanfar Sheikh. This seminar is open to the general public to attend.

MSc with Dr. Janusz Zwiazek

Thesis Topic: Evaluation of wood coatings by the application of artificial weathering technique

Abstract: 

Wood can deteriorate due to harsh weather conditions such as sunlight, heat, and moisture. Coatings can be used to protect wood from these elements. However, there is limited research on how coated wood performs under different climatic conditions. This thesis aims to evaluate the durability of various wood coatings. For that purpose, coatings were applied to the wood of different types of trees, and afterwards exposed to artificial weathering. The coated wood was then analyzed for surface condition, water absorption, color, and hydrophobicity. Five types of coatings, including Recochem boiled linseed, Canadian Industries Limited (CIL), Sikkens Cetol, Total Wood Preservative (TWP)®, and Armstrong G-Clark, were applied to samples of four types of wood commercially referred to as Aspen, Clear Pine, Hemlock Fir, and Clear Cedar. Weekly evaluations of the wood samples showed that weathering significantly impacted all the examined properties. CIL-coated wood samples exhibited improved resistance to weight, thickness, and contact angle changes, while TWP outperformed other coatings in the color category. The study results help better understand and predict the durability of wood preserved with the above coatings for existing and new applications.