XPS studies on microwave plasma modifications of wood surfaces

Summary form only given. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to character chemical structures of wood surfaces before and after microwave plasma treatments, and post treatments of graft methyl methacrylates. The result show that untreated wood surfaces mainly consisted of C, H, O, and a few of Ca, Si, N elements. After microwave plasma treatments, CIs and OIs spectra changed markedly. It suggested that the number (n/sub O/) of O atoms increased but the number (n/sub C/) of C atoms decreased, the n/sub O//n/sub C/ atomic ratio of wood surfaces was raised, other chemical elements kept their original components. It also revealed that energy transfers during the process of microwave plasma treatments oxidized wood surfaces. The process led to a great deal of peroxides or reactive oxide groups with relative low molecular mass generated on wood surfaces, and induced the subsequent graft copolymerization on wood surfaces between reactive oxide groups and methyl methacrylate monomers, resulted in modifying features of wood surfaces.