Forest and Wood Products

Forest and Wood Products

Effect of dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment on the performance of clear and pigmented polyurethane coatings on wood surfaces

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Afsaneh Topa 1
Hadi Gholamiyan 1
Akbar Mastouri 1
Saleh Rostami 2
Rozbeh Abbaszadeh 3
1 Department of Wood and Paper Science and Technology, Faculty of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran.
2 Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Iran.
3 Department of Agriculture Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Iran.
10.22059/jfwp.2026.415736.1395
Abstract
Introduction: Wood surface coating is usually done to improve the appearance, improve surface performance and thus increase the lifespan of wooden structures. However, the main problem is that most coatings are separated from the wood surface after exposure to humidity and site conditions, reducing the physical and mechanical properties of the structure. The main objective of this research is to modify the wood surface using modern plasma technology; in such a way that the durability of protective coatings for indoor and outdoor applications is increased and their premature separation is prevented.
Method: In this research, two types of transparent and colored (white) polyurethane protective coatings were used to cover the wood surface. Beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood surfaces were treated with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma pretreatment in a nitrogen gas environment for different times of 30, 60, 120 and 240 seconds before coating. After the treatments, various physicochemical and mechanical tests such as attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were performed to investigate the chemical changes of the surface, colorimetry to evaluate the visual and color changes of the surface, roughness to measure the changes in surface morphology, and abrasion resistance testing to investigate the mechanical durability of the coatings on coated and uncoated surfaces.
Results: The results of the study showed that plasma pretreatment increased the roughness of the wood surface, although it did not have a significant effect on the color factors of the surface. The main changes in the color components of the wood surface were affected by the type of coating, and colored polyurethane showed the greatest effect in this regard. Also, the roughness on colored coatings was somewhat higher than on clear coatings. In terms of mechanical properties, plasma pretreatment reduced the wear coefficient in all polyurethane coatings on beech wood, which indicates improved wear resistance and increased durability of the coating. The ATR-FTIR spectroscopy results also confirmed the chemical changes of the pretreated wood surface and the successful presence of the polyurethane coating.
Conclusion: Overall, plasma pretreatment at optimal time and conditions increased the durability of both types of polyurethane coatings (clear and colored) by modifying the wood surface morphology without negatively affecting the aesthetic properties. Since the pigments present in colored polyurethane and the aesthetic importance of clear coatings are combined with the synergistic effect of plasma technology, the potential for the application of these coatings in interior and exterior applications such as flooring, outdoor furniture, and decorative and ornamental industries is significantly increased.
Keywords
Beech wood
Colored (white) polyurethane
Plasma pretreatment (DBD)
Transparent polyurethane
Wear index
Subjects
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Forest and Wood Products

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 August 2026