Dynamic adhesive wettability of poplar veneer with cold oxygen plasma treatment

Effects of cold oxygen plasma treatment on activating the surface of poplar veneers and improving its wettability were investigated. The veneers were treated with cold oxygen plasma for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 min, and aged in air for 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The dynamic adhesive wettability of veneers was assessed using the contact angle, K-value analysis, and surface free energy. The shear strength of three-layer panels produced from untreated and cold oxygen plasma treated veneers was examined. The results showed that the wettability of veneer was significantly improved after cold oxygen plasma treatment, leading to the enhancement of shear strength of panels. The optimized treatment time should be 7 min. Aging effect of treated veneers showed that the veneer surface wettability degraded within the first 7 days and thereafter changed slightly.