Dynamic wettability of wood surface modified by acidic dyestuff and fixing agent

Abstract Acidic dyestuffs can bring brilliant colors to the wood and fixing agents can avoid the color loss. They could change the surface wettability of wood, which impact the gluing process of veneers. In condition of the higher moisture content of wood, the rare veneers, the veneers dyed by acidic dyestuffs and the dyed veneers fixed by Chitosan were glued respectively by one-component wet-curing isocyanate adhesive and the contact angles (θ) of the different gluing interfaces were measured. The dynamic wettability of these gluing interfaces was characterized by both the contact angle θ and the spreading–penetration parameter (K) calculated by θ. The results showed that the θ-values decreased significantly with the extension of time and the initial contact angles (θi) decreased with the moisture contents of veneers increasing, but the variation of the balance contact angles (θe) was reversed with θi. When the moisture contents of veneers were same, the variation of θ of the rare veneers was minimal and the variation of θ of the fixed veneers was maximal. The K-values of these gluing interfaces all decreased significantly with the moisture contents of veneers increasing, but the variations of K were different. The wetting model describing the dynamic wetting process was established on the basis of these variations.