The effect of corona treatment to improve the mechanical properties of nitrocellulose and polyurethane coatings used in wooden furniture

In this study, the effect of corona treatment on improving the durability of nitrocellulose and polyurethane coatings used in the wood furniture industry before and after weathering investigated. The boards made from poplar and beech were coated by an automatic film applicator after corona treatment and accelerated for 30 days in a weathering machine. Then, the contact angle, abrasion resistance, and pull-off adhesion testing to the wood surface coatings were analyzed. The results showed that corona treatment reduced contact angle in wooden species and the highest contact angle reduction found in beech wood. Also, the results of the adhesion test showed that the highest adhesion was related to the polyurethane coating and after weathering, the adhesion of the coatings decreased, but the use of corona treatment, in addition to increasing the adhesion strength before weathering, could significantly improve adhesion after weathering. The results of the abrasion test showed that the wear resistance increased in wooden species due to the coating, and the highest amount observed in the beech-coated with polyurethane. After weathering, wear resistance was reduced in all samples, but using corona treatment increased resistance to abrasion. In general, it can say that the use of corona treatment can significantly (95%) improve the resistance to mechanical properties and durability of coatings before and after weathering and thus increase the durability of the furniture and wooden structures.