Effect of Hot-Air Drying Conditions on the Drying Efficiency and Performance of a Waterborne Coating on Pine Wood

In this study, we investigated the drying behavior of a waterborne wood coating (WWC) on pine wood using hot air drying. An analysis of variance of the experimental data revealed that both temperature and humidity exerted significant effects on the surface drying time. An analysis of the structure and wettability indicated a faster moisture migration rate through the cross section than through the tangential section of porous wood. We also determined that temperature, humidity and their interactions significantly affected the glossiness, while temperature had a greater effect on the wear resistance of the WWC films than humidity. The drying conditions had a minimal effect on the adhesion strength. By considering both the drying efficiency and the coating performance, the optimal drying conditions for the WWC on pine wood were determined to be 60 & DEG;C and 55% relative humidity. Our findings suggest that establishing a correlation between drying performance and substrate can ensure the quality of WWCs for practical applications in the wood coating industry.