Protective Coating for Teak Wood

Bio-based coating material technology for the conservation and preservation of teak wood. The coating employs a composite material derived from cellulose derivatives and micro–calcium carbonate processed from discarded mussel shells. This composite forms a brick-like, layered coating film on the teak wood surface, providing resistance to sea-salt vapor, a primary cause of wood degradation in coastal housing structures.

Several commercially available wood-preserving coatings, such as shellac and polyurethane, present notable limitations in the context of conservation.

Although shellac is considered a natural, resin-based material, it significantly darkens the wood, which, from a conservation perspective, constitutes an excessive alteration of its original physical appearance. Polyurethane, by contrast, is a synthetic, plastic-based material that similarly alters the original composition of the wood to an undesirable extent.

Our bio-based coating technology has been developed using a composite material derived from cellulose derivatives and micro–calcium carbonate processed from discarded mussel shells. The coating does not excessively alter the original composition of the wood and does not exert negative impacts on the surrounding ecosystem.

Electron microscope images of the surface show that the coated sample, compared with the control sample, is more effective at sealing pores on the wood surface, thereby helping to prevent water penetration.