Solid softwood coated with plasma-polymer for water repellence

Cold plasmas were produced by electrical glow discharges in a gas medium at reduced pressure and at low frequency. The precursor gases used were ethylene, acetylene, butene-1, and vapor of vinyl acetate. The treatment caused the solid softwood surface to become hydrophobic; 1-butene-plasma produced the best results. Although the surface plasma treatment resulted in water repellence, permeability to water vapor remained. Using a mixture of tetraethyl orthosilicate vapor (TEOS) and oxygen (O2) it was possible to investigate the inability of the glow discharge to coat the surface of wood orifices.