Dr. Rene Herrera Diaz and Faksawat Poohphajai, InnoRenew CoE researchers, together with Aleksandra Jeżo and Grzegorz Kowaluk from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, recently published a new scientific article “Incorporation of Nano-Zinc Oxide as a Strategy to Improve the Barrier Properties of Biopolymer–Suberinic Acid Residues Films: A Preliminary Study,” in Materials.

Finishing coatings in the wood-based composites industry influences the final appearance of the product and also serves to protect against fungi and molds and to reduce the release of harmful substances, particularly formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds.

In this study authors aim to explore whether gas barrier properties of surface-finishing materials can be further improved through the incorporation of nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO). The results showed that composites with the addition of nano-zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved barrier properties, offering a promising avenue for developing biodegradable, formaldehyde-free coatings with enhanced features in the furniture industry.