Functional Regulation Of In-depth Superhydrophobic Wood And Its Applicability In Furniture

Materials are physical carriers that constitute the solid part of the furniture.Basic characteristics of materials have a significant impact on the structure,function,surface texture,color,and processing technology of furniture.So far,functional modification of wood has emerged as an effective method to promote the application of fast-growing wood in furniture.Known as a method that combines material modification and surface protection,superhydrophobic modification enjoys broad application prospects in the field of furniture.Based on the basic principle of the "lotus effect",this study aims to improve the durability and applicability of superhydrophobic wood for furniture applications by using structural design and regulation and preparing an in-depth superhydrophobic wood.The construction mechanism of in-depth superhydrophobic wood is analyzed.Meanwhile,the applicability of superhydrophobic wood in furniture is expounded from perspectives of decorative performance,adhesive performance,joint strength,and surface protection performance.Next,functional regulation is carried out to address the existing defects.The research work of this study is mainly organized as below:(1)A Si-Ti@PDMS pre-polymer is prepared for constructing in-depth superhydrophobic wood.Through single-factor experiments and orthogonal experiments,the optimal preparation process of Si-Ti@PDMS pre-polymer is obtained,with a titanium/alcohol mass ratio of 1:2,a titanium/silicon molar ratio of 1:2,PDMS addition amount of 10%,and drying temperature of 120℃.The contact angle(WCA)of the superhydrophobic wood prepared with the optimal process can reach 153.2°,and the rolling angle(SA)is about 5°.Chemical composition and particle size analysis results show that there are good chemical bond connections among the components of Si-Ti@PDMS pre-polymer.Meanwhile,these components have good dispersibility with a concentrated particle size distribution(d90/d10=5.10),which is conducive to penetration inside the wood.(2)The penetration of Si-Ti@PDMS pre-polymer into the pores of the wood is promoted through impregnation treatment.The surface and different cross-sections of the in-depth superhydrophobic wood thus prepared all exhibit superhydrophobicity.Meanwhile,at different depths of the radial section,the water contact angle remains above 130°,which can well indicate the effect of in-depth superhydrophobicity.Surface morphology and chemical composition analysis results show that Si-Ti@PDMS pre-polymer can penetrate into the wood pores and cell walls,and can form highly cross-linked structures with wood through hydroxyl and other functional groups,thereby shaping a micro-nano hierarchical superhydrophobic rough structure that extends from the surface to the interior.(3)The decorative properties of the superhydrophobic wood are evaluated in accordance with the requirements for surface decoration of furniture.Results reveal the poor decorative effect of the superhydrophobic wood.To regulate the decorative properties of the superhydrophobic wood surface based on the structural differences between earlywood and latewood in pine,a staining process is employed to prepare superhydrophobic-dyed wood.Analysis of texture and color difference suggests that the dye molecules can effectively stain the latewood,thus strengthening the contrast of the wood texture and improving the surface decoration effect.All this can contribute to the higher applicability of superhydrophobic wood to furniture.The WCA and(SA of the superhydrophobic-dyed wood surface are 152.3° and 7°,respectively.In addition,due to the protective effect of the superhydrophobic structure,the superhydrophobic-dyed wood shows excellent water fastness and light fastness.(4)The applicability of the superhydrophobic wood in furniture is analyzed from the perspective of bonding performance and joint strength.Results show that the effective penetration of Si-Ti@PDMS pre-polymer can improve the physical and mechanical properties of the wood.The bending strength and withdrawal strength of the joints in the superhydrophobic wood reach 362.67 N and 1478.23 N,respectively,which meet the requirements for furniture materials.However,the bonding strength of the superhydrophobic wood is only 0.90 MPa,and the failure mode of the adhesive layer is an interfacial failure,which indicates ineffective bonding.Therefore,after regulating the bonding interface with NaOH@KH-550,the bonding strength reaches 3.21 MPa,and the bonding interface experiences interfacial and cohesive failures,which means effective bonding and can meet the performance requirements of furniture.Through the fabrication of furniture prototypes and analysis of static load and durability of the seat surface,it is found that the seat surface and joints of the furniture do not show obvious damage.This helps verify the effectiveness of the method for regulating the bonding performance of superhydrophobic wood and the applicability of joint strength in furniture.Through testing of its hydrophobic and oleophobic properties,it is found that superhydrophobic wood exhibit extremely strong wetting characteristics towards oil-based pollutants such as ethylene glycol and oleic acid.This characteristic can affect the surface protection performance of the furniture.In order to enhance the surface protection performance of superhydrophobic wood in furniture,fluorosilicate is used to regulate its superhydrophobic and oleophobic properties.The results show that the water contact angle(WCA)and sliding angle(SA)of the superamphibobic wood surface are 159.2° and 1°,respectively,and the contact angles of ethylene glycol and oleic acid reach 152.1° and 141.9°,respectively.This is a reflection of excellent superhydrophobic and oleophobic performance.Analysis of the applicability of surface protection performance suggests that the superamphibobic wood surface could withstand damage from acid and alkali,organic solvents,ultraviolet radiation,abrasion,and other factors.This conforms to the physical and chemical requirements of furniture,including cold liquid resistance,dry-wet heat resistance,impact resistance,and wear resistance.Water washability and water immersion resistance through the preparation of actual samples for furniture are examined.No signs of dye dissolution or fading are observed on the furniture surface.The superhydrophobic state remains intact.This can provide solid evidence for the applicability of superhydrophobic wood surface protection to furniture.Meanwhile,it also sheds light on that the prepared superamphibobic wood can provide excellent protective effects for furniture surfaces.To sum up,the above experimental results analysis indicates that in-depth superhydrophobic modification can improve the durability of superhydrophobic wood.Meanwhile,functional regulation can effectively address the limitations of applying superhydrophobic wood in furniture,thereby enhancing its applicability in furniture.These findings not only validate the feasibility of using superhydrophobic wood in furniture but also hold significant implications for expanding the application scope of superhydrophobic materials and promoting the development of new materials for furniture.