Modification of Wood Properties by Highly-Concentrated Plasma Flow

Abstract

The paper presents investigation results for coatings obtained using thermal plasma treatment of wooden products. Such parameters of plasma treatment as temperatures at different distances from the surface, water absorption, and contact angles with water are measured in this paper.

Trends in Chemical Wood Surface Improvements and Modifications: A Review of the Last Five Years

“…They found a substantial increase in the surface free energy and of the penetration-spreading parameter after the plasma treatment, but also a rapid decrease in these two variables during a post-treatment storage. Finally, Volokitin et al used a thermal plasma treatment to mimic a thermal treatment on the surface of pine and birch [193]. Similar to typical thermal treatments, the modified samples were darker, their water contact angle increased, and their water absorption declined.…”

“…Brushing and dipping were also used to perform the surface impregnation of different protective agents into wood substrates, with similar limitations [238][239][240][241]244,246,247]. A quite different, yet interesting method was presented by Volokitin et al, who modified pine and birch with a thermal plasma to produce only a layer of thermo-modified wood [193]. The resulting timber displayed similar properties to thermo-modified wood (higher hydrophobicity, lower water absorption, dark colour), but was faster and cheaper to produce.…”