The goal of this work was to measure the impact of a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma treatment (DBD) on the adhesion properties of the most common wood-based materials used in industry, namely particle boards and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Samples made of particle board and MDF were finished with melamine foil or water-based painting. Before the finishing procedure, contact angles were measured, and work of adhesion values was calculated. Additionally, a dynamic wettability model was used to make a comparison regards to liquid penetration and spreading during the contact angle measurement. The painted work samples were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive x-ray (EDS) analysis to assess the depth of paint penetration. With both kinds of material (MDF and particleboard), pull-off tests were also conducted. The results demonstrated significant improvements in the wettability properties of both particleboard and MDF. However, SEM analysis showed no increase in paint penetration. Simultaneously, pull-off tests turned out unsatisfactory.
