Preparation, Test, and Analysis of a Novel Aluminosilicate-Based Antimildew Agent Applied on the Microporous Structure of Wood

Kouomo Guelifack Yves; Tingjie Chen; John Tosin Aladejana; Zhenzheng Wu; Yongqun Xie

doi:10.1021/acsomega.0c00357

Preparation, Test, and Analysis of a Novel Aluminosilicate-Based Antimildew Agent Applied on the Microporous Structure of Wood

ACS Omega. 2020 Apr 8;5(15):8784-8793. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00357. eCollection 2020 Apr 21.

Authors

Kouomo Guelifack Yves¹, Tingjie Chen², John Tosin Aladejana¹, Zhenzheng Wu¹, Yongqun Xie¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Material Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 15 Shangxiadian Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, P. R. China.
² Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Products of Universities in Fujian, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, P. R. China.

Abstract

Fungi play a considerable role in the deterioration of lignocellulose materials, as their activities either affect the esthetic properties or lead to decay of the host materials. The new generation of organic-inorganic preservatives, which are copper-based but chrome- and arsenic-free, is a subject of many research works. Mildew fungus prevention, treatment of affected materials, and their successive conservation are essential to the woodworkers. To prevent degradation and prolong the service life of wood, a sol-gel organic-inorganic procedure was employed in this study. Aluminum sulfate (Al₂(SO₄)₃), copper sulfate (CuSO₄·5H₂O), and boric acid (H₃BO₃) were introduced into phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) and water glass as an antimildew agent, with different treatment concentrations (0.7, 1.4, and 2%). Wood was inoculated with Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride after new treatment based on the inorganic preservative. The changes in wood surface, structural chemistry, and the crystalline structure of the treated wood were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The growth of the two mildew fungi showed distribution, and evidence of mildew covering only the untreated wood surfaces and an increase in the crystallinity of wood was observed after the process. The study suggests that the two mildew fungi investigated herein could be prevented by sol-gel coating with a Si-Al-Cu-P antimildew agent.