Sustainable anti-UV coating to protect wooden façades, using bio-carbon as UV-stabilizer

 
Façades play crucial roles in the building safety, comfort, and aesthetics. Ultraviolet (UV) solar radiation absorbed by lignin - constituting up to 40% of wood - initiates the weathering of wood. It is crucial to limit the weathering effects that can lead to deterioration of wood by using coatings to protect its surface. UV absorbers enhance the durability of wood outdoors by absorbing incident radiation and by converting it into heat, which is then dissipated. Carbon-based materials are potential UV stabilizers thanks to combined effects of physical screen, UV absorbance, and radical trap. Bio-carbon is a carbon-based product obtained from thermal decomposition of organic materials at elevated temperatures. Bio-carbon presents a wide range of properties that can be tailored by the manufacturing process. This study focus on the development of a sustainable bio-sourced anti-UV coating to protect wooden façades, using bio-carbon as UV-stabilizer.