Abstract: [Objective] Based on the existed researches of plantation wood surface modification treated by air plasma, this study investigated the effect of gas glow discharge plasma treatments on wood surface wettability. The results would provide the theoretical basis for the industrialization production of the atmospheric pressure air plasma treatment on the surface of the wood, and to provide the theory basic data for the application of plasma in different wood surface modification.[Method] Low temperature plasma glow discharge plasma with air,oxygen(O₂), nitrogen(N₂), ammonia(Ar)and helium(He)were respectively used to treat six kinds of timber,including of Populus davidiana, Picea asperata, Eucalyptus globulus,Quercus rubra,Betula platyphylla and Juglans nigra. The surface wettability of different treated wood was investigated.[Result] The results showed that the surface contact angle of different treated wood with water and diiodomethane was significantly reduced, the surface energy increased, and the wettability were improved obviously. The helium plasma treatment showed the biggest influence on surface wettability of Populus davidiana and Picea asperata. The argon plasma processing exhibited surface contact angle of Eucalyptus globulus,Quercus rubra,Betula platyphylla and Juglans nigra declined most. The plasma processing time affected wood surface wettability to a certain extent, 3 min was better for plantation wood and 4 min was available for natural wood.[Conclusion] The wood surface wettability can be improved by different gas plasma treatment, and the air plasma modification of the wood surface wettability is relatively good. Therefore, in actual production application, air plasma can be used to improve the adhesion and grafting of wood and wood matrix composites.

Key words: plasma, plantation wood, natural wood, surface wettability