Wood surface modification in dielectric barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure for creating water repellent characteristics

This paper is on the development of an effective method to hydrophobize wood surfaces of any kind with the help of gas discharges (plasma). Special gases are injected into a so-called dielectric barrier gas discharge creating thin water-proof layers. One special feature of the dielectric barrier discharge is that it works under atmospheric pressure conditions. This can be realized by isolating the electrodes by a dielectric like quartz glass. With the help of this dielectric, which provides the required conditions for creating thin and even layers through homogenisation of the discharge, a special setup (Ionized-Jet-Generator) was developed. The Ionized-Jet-Generator is a light and robust hand-held unit which works under atmospheric pressure conditions. Therefore, it provides an uncomplicated and cheap way to treat surfaces and can be applied to all shapes of wood.