Effects of PDADMAC solution pretreatment on beech wood - waterborne coating interaction

Palija, Tanja (author), Djikanović, Daniela (author), Rančić, Milica (author), Petrič, Marko (author), Pavlič, Matjaž (author)

This study builds on previous research into the surface modification of beech wood with polyethyleneimine (PEI) prior to finishing it with a waterborne coating. Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) is introduced as an alternative cationic polyelectrolyte for the pretreatment of beech wood surfaces. Wood samples were treated with aqueous 1% PDADMAC solutions of low (LMW—8000 g mol−1) and high (HMW—100,000–200,000 g mol−1) molecular weights, with or without NaCl addition. The effects of the treatments on wood surface chemistry, wettability, surface energy, water absorption, coating penetration, coating adhesion strength, and surface roughness of coated wood were analysed using FTIR, fluorescence microscopy, SEM/EDS, and standardised tests commonly used in wood surface finishing. The results showed that polyelectrolyte pretreatment modified the surface properties of wood, reducing water absorption and surface roughness without significantly affecting coating adhesion strength. PDADMAC formed a more uniform surface layer of wood with limited coating penetration, and NaCl addition improved wood surface smoothness (reducing surface roughness parameters of coated wood by 23%–29%, in samples treated with PDADMAC LMW with 0.01 M NaCl). These findings confirm that cationic polyelectrolyte pretreatment enhances the compatibility and performance of waterborne coatings, offering an environmentally friendly approach to improving wood–waterborne coating interactions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: wood surface, polyelectrolyte, PDADMAC, waterborne coating, wood-coating interface
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 1-23
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 1 [article no. 148]
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178408
• UDC: 630*8
• ISSN on article: 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f17010148
• COBISS.SI-ID: 266196739
• Publication date in RUL: 27.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Forests
• Shortened title: Forests
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4907
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3872166

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: površina lesa, polielektrolit, vodni premaz, mejna plast les-premaz