Integrate measurements allow the surface characterization of thermo-vacuum treated alder differentially coated

The objective of this work was to investigate color stability and chemical changes of thermo-treated artificially weathered and coated alder (Alnus cordata, Loisel.) samples. Specimens were thermo-treated at a temperature of 200 °C for 4 h and then coated with commercially manufactured finishes. A solar box test chamber was employed for weathering of the samples. The color change of the specimens were measured using CIE L∗a∗b∗ color space system. Changes of the chemical composition in the samples were evaluated using UV–Vis-NIR and FTIR spectroscopy techniques. The results of these different analytical techniques all indicate the same outcome and consistently corroborate the color measurements before and after UVB exposure. The results revealed that thermo-treated alder wood, coated with various finishes, exhibited a strong variation of color compared to that of control specimens indicating of thermal modification was not very effective in restricting UV light induced degradation in the specimens.