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Hydrophobic recovery of atmospheric pressure plasma treated surfaces of Wood-Polymer Composites (WPC)

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Abstract

In this study, the behavior of atmospheric pressure plasma treated surfaces of Wood-Polymer Composites (WPC) was investigated as a function of time and environmental conditions. The surfaces of injection molded WPC based on polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were treated by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and subsequently aged under various conditions. The wettability as an indicator for change of the composite surface was assessed using water contact angle. In addition, a calculation for half-time of the contact angles was developed to predict the time span which is needed for recovery of hydrophobicity. The results showed a major influence of temperature and time, whereas the humidity only at storing conditions of 60 °C and 75% relative humidity showed a distinct effect on the activated surface. The effect of DBD treatment was stable for more than one week in the climates 20 °C and 0% RH and 20 °C and 65% RH.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), under the supervision of Dr.-Ing. Karen Otten, in Jülich, Germany and the joint research project “PlaNaWood” (Grant No. 03X5519A).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georg-August-University of Goettingen,Wood Biology and Wood Products, Burckhardt-Institute, Buesgenweg 4, 37077, Goettingen, Germany

    Benedikt Hünnekens & Holger Militz

  2. University of Hamburg,Mechanical Wood Technology, Leuschnerstr. 91C, 21031, Hamburg, Germany

    Andreas Krause

  3. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Von-Ossietzky-Str. 99, 37085, Goettingen, Germany

    Wolfgang Viöl

  4. Fraunhofer Application Centre for Plasma and Photonic, Von-Ossietzky-Straße 100, 37085, Goettingen, Germany

    Wolfgang Viöl

Authors
  1. Benedikt Hünnekens
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  2. Andreas Krause
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  3. Holger Militz
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  4. Wolfgang Viöl
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Correspondence to Benedikt Hünnekens.

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Hünnekens, B., Krause, A., Militz, H. et al. Hydrophobic recovery of atmospheric pressure plasma treated surfaces of Wood-Polymer Composites (WPC). Eur. J. Wood Prod. 75, 761–766 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-017-1175-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-017-1175-x

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