SURFACE HARDNESS OF ORIENTAL BEECH PRE-IMPREGNATED WITH CCB BEFORE VARNISH COATING AFTER ACCELERATED LIGHTFASTNESS AND ACCELERATED AGING

Abstract

This study was designed to determine accelerated lightfastness and accelerated aging investigating the surface hardness performance of a polyurethane varnish (PV) and an alkyd based synthetic varnish (SV) coated Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) wood that is pre-impregnated with CCB (chromium-copper-boron). Results showed that while accelerated lightfastness hardened the wood surface, accelerated aging remarkably softened it. CCB pre-impregnation before varnish coating caused increase in hardness of coated Oriental beech wood after both exposure conditions. Higher concentrations of CCB resulted in harder surfaces of Oriental beech wood.