OILS USAGE IN FINISHING OF THERMALLY MODIFIED WOOD IN

OUTDOOR APPLICATIONS
Josip Miklei, BSc
Prof. Vlatka Jirou-Rajkovi, PhD
Assoc. Professor Stjepan Pervan, PhD
Sinia Gruji, student
University of Zagreb
Faculty of Forestry
Croatia

SUMMARY
Thermally modified wood is increasingly used in outdoor conditions, but its surface
also undergoes to degradation by weathering as well as unmodified wood. Oils are largely
used for protection of wood surface in outdoor conditions because they are easy to maintain
and recoat, and they enhance the appearance of wood surface. In this study, we measured the
change of colour and gloss and surface cracking of thermally modified and unmodified wood
samples treated with three types of oils during the accelerated weathering in QUV device.
We also measured the permeability of liquid water and water-vapour according to HRN EN
927-5 and HRN EN 927-4. It was found that unmodified untreated samples had less surface
cracks than the thermally modified untreated samples during accelerated weathering. Oils
treatment reduced the cracking of the thermally modified samples. Teak oil and oil for
thermally modified wood offered similar protection to exposed thermally modified wood
surfaces from the effects of water and UV radiation, while the universal oil did not offer any
protection from the colour change of modified wood during exposure. Since the oil coating is
also susceptible to photochemical degradation, for a pleasant appearance of wood surfaces
during outdoor use it is very important the timely refinishing in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.
Key words: thermally modified wood, wood finishing oils, accelerated weathering,
general appearance of the surface, water permeability

1 INTRODUCTION
Due to the enhanced dimensional stability, improved biological durability, reduced
permeability and good appearance thermally modified or heat treated wood is increasingly
used in many outdoor applications such as exterior cladding, decking, terraces and garden
furniture. The resistance of heat treated wood against weathering (UV-light, wetting) is not
changed largely when compared to untreated wood, making a surface treatment with coatings
necessary (Militz, 2002; Hill, 2009). There are many products on the market available for
outdoor wood finishing which are commonly classified into film-forming finishes, as these
form a film on the wood surface, and penetrating finishes, as these penetrate into the wood
without forming a film. The horizontal surface, pooling of water and full exposure to sun and
rain make deck finishing more demanding than other wood finishing (e.g. exterior claddings).
For such surfaces penetrating finishes are recommended because they dont form a film and
give better overall performance and have the easiest maintenance and refinishing (Williams
and Feist, 1993, Feist, 2006, Gibson, 2007). Oils fall into the category of penetrating finish
which enhance the natural wood grain and appearance (Bulian and Graystone, 2009).With oil

treatment wood surface absorption is reduced and ingress of liquids and dirt is more difficult
(Hgele, 2003). There are many oils on the market intended for outdoor use and to look
natural, designed specifically for decks and garden furniture and formulated to resist
weathering. In this paper we wanted to examine the efficacy of such oils in protecting the
surface of thermally modified and unmodified wood during accelerated weathering.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

Unmodified and thermally modified samples of three wood species were used in this
study: oak (Quercus robur L.), ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) and beech (Fagus silvatica L.). Oak
and beech wood were represented by two types of samples: unmodified samples (marks: H,
B), thermally modified oak wood samples at 180 C (mark: H180) and thermally modified
beech wood samples at 190 C (mark: B190), and ash wood samples were represented by
three types of samples: unmodified samples (mark: J), thermally modified samples at 190 C
(mark: J190) and thermally modified samples at 200 C (mark: J200). The process of thermal
modification of the samples was carried out 68 hours in seven phases. Selected samples were
radial texture, free from defects and even colour. Surface treated and untreated samples of
dimensions 150 x 75 x 18 mm (L x R x T) were used for accelerated weathering, and samples
of dimensions 150 x 70 x 20 mm (L x R x T) were used for assessment of the liquid water and
water-vapour permeability. Samples were previously conditioned at 20 C and 65% relative
humidity.
Samples were surface treated with three types of oils: universal oil (mark: 110),
thermowood oil (mark: 113), and teak oil (mark: 118). All three types of oils are formulated
from natural oils with the addition of aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents and additives. Teak oil
and thermowood oil contain UV-resistant mineral and organic pigments. Oils were applied
manually by brush in two layers in the amount of 45 g/m 2 per layer, and the drying time
between layers was 24 hours.
Accelerated weathering was conducted in a QUV device (Q-Panel Company)
equipped with UVA-340 fluorescent lamps. Samples were exposed 672 hours (4 cycles): two
identical thermally modified wood samples for each oil; one unmodified wood sample for
each oil and one surface untreated wood sample.
The parameters of the cycle of accelerated weathering:
total duration of one cycle: 168 h (1 week)
24 h condensation at (45 3) C
2.5 h UV lamps at (60 3)C and 0.77 W/(m2nm) radiation
0.5 h spraying water 6-7 l/min with no light and no temperature control
the period of UV lamps and spraying was repeated 48 times
Assessment of the liquid water and water-vapour was carried out according to standard
HRN EN 927-5 and HRN EN 927-4.
During accelerated weathering the surface of samples was visually checked for any
cracking visible to the naked eye or visible under microscope magnification of 10 times. At
the end of the exposure the general appearance of the surface of samples (discoloration and
cracking) was assessed using a scale from 0-5 (0-no changes, 5-greatest changes).
Before and after 26,5; 115; 168; 336; 504 and 672 hours of accelerated weathering
change in colour and gloss, and the appearance of surface cracks was measured on the
samples. The measurement of colour change was made with a portable spectrophotometer
Microflash 100d produced by Datacolor (d/8 measuring geometry, 10 standard observer,
D65 standard illuminate, xenon flash lamp source) always on the same eight marked locations

on sample. The overall colour change (E*) was calculated according to the CIEL*a*b*
colour measuring system where, L* describes brightness, a* and b* describe chromatic
coordinates on the red-green and yellow-blue axis. E* is the colour difference between the
initial colour of the sample and the colour of the sample after exposure and it was calculated
using the following formula:
E* = [(L*)2 + (a*)2 + (b*)2]1/2

(1)

where L* describes the difference in brightness (+ light, - dark), a* and b* describes

differences in chromaticity coordinates ((a*: + redder, - greener; b*: + yellower, - bluer).
The measurement of gloss was made with a portable glossmeter Glosmaster Erichsen 507
with 65 measuring geometry on the three locations on sample.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Colour changes (E*) of wood samples during QUV exposure are presented in
Figures 1 and 2. After only 26,5 hours of exposure (24 h condensation and 2,5 hours UV
lamps) all wood samples changed the colour, but unfinished samples changed more.

Figure 1 Colour change of unmodified oak wood (a), unmodified ash wood (b) and unmodified beech wood
during accelerated weathering

It can be seen from Fig. 1a and 1b that oils reduced colour change of unmodified oak
wood samples only in first hours of exposure (universal oil and teak oil up to 120 hours, and
thermowood oil up to 180 hours) and for unmodified ash wood oils reduced colour changes
during the most of the exposure with the exception of ash samples finished with universal oil.
On unmodified beech wood samples universal oil reduced colour change up to 360 hours of
exposure and teak oil and thermowood oil during entire exposure. It should be mention that
teak oil and thermowood oil change the colour of unmodified wood to some degree because
they contain pigments. Among three wood species of unmodified and finished samples ash
wood samples showed the most prominent change of colour after QUV exposure.

Figure 2 Colour change of thermally modified oak wood at 180C (a), thermally modified ash wood at 190C
(b), thermally modified beech wood at 190C (c) and thermally modified ash wood at 200C (d) during
accelerated weathering

Colour change of thermally modified samples finished with teak oil (118) and with
thermowood oil (113) was smaller during entire exposure than colour change of unmodified
samples and samples treated with universal oil (110) (Fig 2). The colour change of thermally
modified wood samples finished with universal oil was lower compared to unfinished
samples: on oak wood during the first 500 hours of exposure, on beech wood during the 500

hours, on ash wood thermally modified at 190C during 630 hours and on ash wood modified
at 200C during 650 hours of exposure. At the end of accelerated exposure total discoloration
(E*) of the thermally modified samples finished with teak oil (oil 118) and with thermowood
oil (oil 113) was 3,5 times and 3 times smaller, respectively for oak wood, 3 times and 2
times smaller respectively for beech wood, 5 and 4 times smaller, respectively for ash
wood thermally treated at 190C and 2,5 and 2,2 times smaller, respectively for ash wood
thermally treated at 190C than total discoloration of the unfinished samples (Fig.2). The
most prominent trend of colour change can be seen for thermally modified ash wood (at
190C and 200C) samples unfinished or finished with universal oil (Fig. 2b and Fig. 2d).
Among unfinished thermally modified wood samples the smaller colour change could be seen
for oak and beech wood samples. At the end of exposure the colour change of these samples
was 1,7 smaller than colour change of ash wood samples (Fig.2).
Figure 3 shows gloss changes of thermally modified wood samples during accelerated
weathering. It can be seen that oil treatment enhance gloss of wood surface. The highest gloss
values were measured on thermally modified beech wood surfaces (Fig. 3c), and the smallest
were measured on ash wood surfaces thermally modified at 200C (Fig. 3d).

Figure 3 Gloss change of thermally modified oak wood at 180C (a), thermally modified ash wood at 190C
(b), thermally modified beech wood at 190C (c) and thermally modified ash wood at 200C (d) during
accelerated weathering

The gloss value of thermally modified oak wood surface finished with teak oil was 12
time higher than gloss of unfinished thermally modified oak wood; the gloss value of
thermally modified ash wood surface (at 190C ) finished with same oil was 13 time higher
than gloss of unfinished thermally modified ash wood, the gloss of thermally treated beech
wood treated with teak oil was 19 time higher than gloss of unfinished samples and the gloss
of value of thermally modified ash wood surface (at 200C ) finished with same oil was 7
time higher than gloss of unfinished thermally modified ash wood. A rapid decrease can also
be seen in gloss of thermally modified oil finished oak wood and ash wood samples during
the first 26,5 hours of QUV exposure followed by small gloss changes with continued
exposure. During the first 26, 5 hours of QUV exposure marked gloss change of thermally
modified beech wood samples is also evident followed by more intensive decrease in gloss
values compared to thermally modified oak and ash wood samples. The unfinished thermally
modified samples showed only small changes in gloss during QUV exposure.
The results of the liquid water absorption test show that wood samples finished with
oils absorbed less water than unfinished samples: thermowood oil exhibited the lowest
permeability, followed by teak oil, and the highest permeability exhibited universal oil (Fig.
4). It can also be seen that liquid water absorption of thermally modified wood samples is
lower than liquid water absorption of unmodified samples and ash wood samples thermally
modified at 200C exhibited lower liquid water absorption than ash wood samples thermally
modified at 190C. Among all tested samples only thermally modified samples of oak and ash
wood at 190C, finished with thermowood oil and ash wood samples thermally modified at
200C and finished with all three kinds of oils exhibited the value of liquid water permeability
lower than 175 g/m2 which is according to HRN EN 927-2 limit value for coatings intended to
use for dimensionally stable wood products (Fig. 4).
Water-vapour absorption does not show such great deviations from values of
unfinished wood surfaces (Fig. 5) which means that the treated surfaces do not prevent watervapour absorption and liquid water uptake in the exposures to the high humidity for longer
intervals (e.g. in autumn and winter months). All beech samples exhibited the highest values
of water vapour absorption with the exception of unmodified samples treated with teak oil.

Figure 4 Liquid water permeability according to HRN EN 927-5

Figure 5 Water-vapour absorption and desorption according to HRN EN 927-4

The surface cracks were detected by visual inspection after 168 hours (1 week) of
QUV exposure in unfinished thermally modified wood whereas in unmodified unfinished
samples cracks were detected after two weeks of exposure in oak and beech wood and after 3
weeks in ash wood. During accelerated QUV exposure unmodified, unfinished samples of all
three wood species had less cracks than thermally modified wood samples. It can be seen
from Table 1 that surface treatment with oil reduce surface cracking of thermally modified
wood. The cracking of ash wood thermally modified at 200C was less pronounced than
cracking of ash wood samples thermally modified at 190C. Among all tested thermally
modified wood samples finished with oils the cracking of ash wood samples modified at
190C was mostly pronounced (Table 1).
Table1 General appearance of the surface of samples after 672 hours accelerated weathering
Value*
Value*
Sample
Sample
Cracks Colour change
Cracks
Colour change
H
3
5
H-113
2
3
J
2
5
J-113
1
2
B
3
5
B-113
2
2
H180
4
5
H180-113
2
3
J190
5
5
J190-113
4
3
J200
4
5
J200-113
1
4
B190
4
5
B190-113
2
3
H-110
3
5
H-118
2
3
J-110
2
5
J-118
1
1
B-110
2
5
B-118
2
2
H180-110
3
5
H180-118
2
2
J190-110
4
5
J190-118
4
2
J200-110
2
5
J200-118
1
3
B190-110
3
5
B190-118
2
3
* value 0-no changes, value 5-greatest changes

4 CONCLUSION
Colour changes of thermally modified wood samples of all three wood species are
reduced by teak oil and thermowood oil treatment during accelerated weathering.
Gloss changes are the most pronounced at the beginning of the exposure, and later
they are very small compared to the colour changes, for all wood species.
All three species of thermally modified wood samples exhibited a lower permeability
of liquid water than the unmodified wood samples.
The lowest permeability of liquid water exhibited the samples treated with
thermowood oil, followed by teak oil, and the highest permeability exhibited universal oil for
all three wood species.
Tested oils do not prevent the absorption of large amount of water in the exposure to
the high humidity for longer intervals.
Untreated, unmodified samples of all three wood species cracked less than untreated
thermally modified samples during accelerated weathering, and oil finishing of thermally
modified samples decreased cracking.
For a pleasant appearance of oiled surface during outdoor use the regular maintenance
according to the manufacturers instructions is essential.

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