Fully bio-based water-resistant wood coatings derived from tree bark

Abstract

Surface protection is essential when using wood as a construction material. However, the industry lacks sustainable alternatives to replace the presently dominant fossil-based synthetic water-resistant coatings. Here, we show a fully bio-based wood surface protection system using components sourced from birch bark and spruce bark, inspired by the natural barrier function of bark in trees. The coating formulation contains suberinic acids and spruce bark polyphenols, resulting in a waterborne suspension that is safe and easy to apply to wood. The polyphenols play a dual role in the formulation as they stabilize the water-insoluble suberinic acids and serve as nanofillers in the thermally cured coating, enabling the adjustment of the mechanical properties of the resulting coating. When applied to spruce wood, the coating formulation with 10% polyphenol and 90% suberinic acids achieved a water absorption value of 100 g m⁻² after 72 hours of water exposure, demonstrating superior performance compared to an alkyd emulsion coating. We conclude that instead of combusting tree bark, it can serve as a valuable resource for wood protection, closing the circle in the wood processing industry.