Improving whiteness fastness and antibacterial properties of bleached african white sycamore veneer by firm loading of ZnO particles dispersed via PVA
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The solution prepared with distilled water results in a costly bleaching and the bleached wood easily turns to yellow under illumination of sunlight. In this study, african white sycamore veneer (AWV) was bleached with alkaline H 2 O 2 to achieve an optimal whiteness, and then loaded nano ZnO dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution to improve whiteness fastness and shedding resistance. The optimum bleaching effect was achieved under 1.2% H 2 O 2 and 0.10 mol/L NaOH in tap water at 60°C for 4 h. PVA enhanced the adhesion of nano ZnO, and treated bleached African white sycamore veneer (BAWV) showed an 89.04% rise in ∆L and a 53.75% and reduction in ∆E as PVA was added from 0 to 4%. With 4% PVA added and PDI below 0.4, the nano-dispersion exhibited the optimal uniformity. The FTIR and XRD results indicated that the crystal structure of nano ZnO remained unchanged with good compatibility in the components. More uniform deposition of nano ZnO inside the wood was observed in SEM with the increase of PVA. In addition, the diameter of the inhibition zone of treated BAWV against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus could reach 1.74 cm and 1.98 cm respectively, indicating stronger antibacterial activity under light irradiation. This study demonstrates the potential of PVA as a dispersant to carry nanoparticles into wood and improve its whiteness fastness and antibacterial properties.
Source: Research Square
Authors: Yuxi Wang, Xueyu Liu, Yalu Yun, Lijuan Wang, Hong Shen
Institution: Northeast Forestry University
Language: English
Subfield: Building and Construction
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7155375784