Waterborne clear coatings have been developed to address the concerns of high VOCs that are normally associated with conventional solvent-based coatings.1 To preserve the beauty of wood grain, waterborne clearcoats containing UV absorbers and light stabilizers are commonly applied to the surface for protection. However, sunlight and UV radiation can penetrate coatings on wood surfaces, causing yellowing. The yellowness comes from both the coating and lignin. Lignin, when exposed to the sunlight, can easily be degraded. Wood, as a composition of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, appears to yellow due to the photodegradation of lignin.2-6
Eversorb® AQ (EV-AQ), a blend of UV absorber and HALS, has been developed specifically for waterborne clearcoats. Eversorb SB (EV-SB) is a lignin stabilizer designed for wood pretreatments to protect lignin from UV light degradation.