Native wood species are very attractive in many application fields, but they do have some disadvantages on the technological side, such as low dimensional stability with changes in humidity or temperature, ultraviolet sensitivity as well as low natural durability. In contrast to tropical woods, many European species are generally regarded as unsuitable for outdoor service requiring long-term stability, such as terrace decking or furniture.
The further development of wood and wood-based materials as construction materials as well as evolve new methods of production is a permanent goal of material research. As a natural material, wood is exposed to various natural degradation and aging processes, which place restriction on later improvement and machining operations and thus reduce the scope of applications. Atmospheric-pressure plasma treatments successfully address this problem, enabling coating and treatment processes which offer long-term stability and defect-free, safe and efficient coatings and treatments. Surface treatments with atmospheric pressure plasma processes are opening up new areas of application while simultaneously improving the quality of various woods species.
Effects of plasma treatment
- Increasing and setting of the surface energy level
- Increasing the uptake of modifying agents
- Modifying the surface by plasma polymerization
Advantages of plasma treatment at atmospheric pressure
- Increasing the adhesive strength of paints and coatings
- Homogenous distribution of liquid coating agents on surfaces
- Improved penetration of modifiers within the wood
- Increasing weathering resistance
- Creating functional coatings on wooden surfaces
General advantages of atmospheric pressure plasma technology
- Low emission
- Easiliy scalable
- High ecological efficiency
- Low operating costs
Our offers
- Analytical services: contact-angle measurements, adhesion tests, artificial weathering
- Proof of concepts in optimizing the properties of wooden surfaces by plasma treatment
- Hydrophilization and hydrophobization by means of plasma
- Customized process optimization of joining and impregnation processes
- Development, design and implementation of plasma treatment equipment, prototypes and system components
- Experimental coatings on wooden surfaces by plasma based particle deposition and plasma polymerization