Confocal microscope—A valuable tool for examining wood-coating interface

The suitability of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) in examining a wood-coating interface was evaluated using a clear coating system. A comparison of the images of the wood-clear coating interface obtained using CLSM and light microscopy (LM) showed a marked superiority of CLSM in revealing the details of the physical nature of the interaction between the clear coating and the wood cell walls in the surface layer. The most distinct advantage of CLSM was in its ability to clearly resolve penetration of the coating into very fine cracks in cell walls, details not obtainable with LM. The information presented here demonstrates that CLSM has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the physical aspects of an interaction between the wood and coating at the interface.