Open AccessPlasma treatment of spruce wood changes its dielectric properties
Author(s) -
Sebastian Dahle,
Jure Žigon,
Marko Petrič,
Mirko Kariž
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
les
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2590-9932
pISSN - 0024-1067
DOI - 10.26614/les-wood.2020.v69n02a03
Subject(s) - dielectric , permittivity , materials science , picea abies , plasma , composite material , water content , analytical chemistry (journal) , moisture , dielectric loss , chemistry , environmental chemistry , botany , geotechnical engineering , physics , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , biology , engineering
The effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment on the dielectric properties of Norway spruce wood (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were investigated using dielectric analysis. Dielectric constant (i.e. permittivity) and loss coefficient were determined at various frequencies. The resulting changes on lamellae specimens of different thicknesses were compared with the change in mass and moisture content. A significant influence of the plasma was found, leading to an increase of the dielectric constant by about 2%, and a decrease of sample mass directly after the plasma treatment by approx. 14%, whereas a reduction in moisture content by only about 0.6% and a corresponding change in loss coefficient were detected. Overall, the mechanisms of the observed changes remain unclear and seem mainly uncorrelated with the hitherto known chemical changes in wood surfaces caused by similar plasma discharges.