AVS 65th International Symposium & Exhibition
    Plasma Science and Technology Division Monday Sessions
       Session PS+TF-MoM

Invited Paper PS+TF-MoM3
Plasma Deposition of Functional, Nanostructured Coatings on Materials and Nanomaterials Derived from the Wood Biomass

Monday, October 22, 2018, 9:00 am, Room 104C

Session: Plasma Deposition and Plasma-Enhanced ALD
Presenter: Luc Stafford, Université de Montréal, Canada
Correspondent: Click to Email
Wood components have been used as a building material for centuries. In light of the growing concern over the environmental impact of human industrial activity, wood has taken on a new importance worldwide. The main advantages of this widely-distributed and renewable resource lie in its versatility, strength-to-weight characteristics, ease of processing, aesthetics, and its sustainability as a green-material. Its bio-polymeric structure, however, renders it susceptible to degradation due to moisture, microorganisms, insects, fire, and ultraviolet radiation. In this context, important research efforts have been devoted to the further development of existing wood protection systems either through the application of paints, varnishes, stains, and water repellents or through direct modification by thermal, chemical, and impregnation methods. In recent years, we have shown that non-thermal plasmas represent a very promising approach for tailoring the surface properties of wood-based materials for both improvement of existing protection systems or as standalone treatment for the growth of functional coatings. In this presentation, the scientific and technological accomplishments associated with the use of plane-to-plane dielectric barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of various barrier coatings on wood surfaces are reviewed. These aspects cover the effects of wood conditions and properties, such as wood inhomogeneities and wood outgassing, on both the plasma characteristics and the plasma deposition dynamics of SiOCH barrier layers using organosilicon precursors. This description is extended to more complex systems such as the plasma-assisted growth of nanocomposite coatings (for example TiO2 or ZnO nanoparticles embedded into a SiOCH matrix) using colloidal solutions as the growth precursor for PECVD. For such applications, a combined low-frequency-high-frequency voltage waveform is used to achieve significant and spatially uniform deposition of nanoparticles across the whole substrate surface. Finally, very recent studies on the plasma-assisted functionalization of highly porous microfibrillated cellulose materials derived from the wood biomass are presented.