Etching of wood surfaces by glow discharge plasma |
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Authors: | A Jamali P D Evans |
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Institution: | (1) Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, University of British Columbia, 2900-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada; |
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Abstract: | This research tests the hypothesis that plasma will cause differential etching of wood cell walls because of variation in
the susceptibility of aromatic and aliphatic polymers to degradation by plasma. Wood was exposed to glow discharge plasma,
and scanning electron microscopy and chromatic confocal profilometry were used to examine etching of cell walls. Plasma etched
cell walls and made them thinner, but the middle lamella was more resistant to etching than the secondary wall. Plasma created
small voids within the secondary wall, which were separated by thin lamellae connected to the middle lamella and tertiary
wall layers. Larger voids were created in cell walls by the etching of bordered and half-bordered pits. Etching of the uppermost
layer of cells at wood surfaces occurs first and when large voids are created in the walls of these cells then significant
plasma etching of the underlying cells occurs. Etching of wood cell walls can be quantified using confocal profilometry, and
using this technique a strong relationship between applied plasma energy and volume of cell wall etched by plasma was observed.
It is concluded that all of wood’s polymers can be degraded by plasma even though cell wall layers that are rich in lignin
are etched more slowly than other parts of the cell wall. |
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Keywords: | |
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