Abstract
The weathering performance of Norway spruce coated with acrylic water based paint mixed with TiO2 and clay nanoparticles were investigated. Uncoated specimens and specimens coated with unmodified paint were used as references. This work describes the effect of the nanoparticles in general and compares the performance of 1 wt% and 3 wt% of nanoparticles in particular on the weathering performance of the coated specimens. Accelerated ageing experiments were performed in an Atlas solar simulator to evaluate the ageing behaviour of the coated wood and characterized through colour measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy before, during and at the end of the exposure periods. In general, the addition of TiO2 and clay nanoparticles slightly slowed down the coated specimens degradation compared to specimens coated with unmodified paint.