Surface characterization toward wood finishing: 3D roughness, wettability and other measurements

The finishing process of wood depends upon many factors, such as the finishing products (chemical and physical properties of products), the finishing process (machines, type of process) and the wood itself. Our approach is focused on evaluation of physical and physical-chemical properties, determined using assessed and non-assessed methods, and by standard and nonstandard processes. Some physical properties of the wood surface are strictly related to the finishing process. The contact stylus roughness profiles are discussed in relationship with the anatomical features of wood species. A set of additional parameters are obtained with 3D non contact laser technology under development, and the peculiarity of this approach is presented. The wettability measurements provide physical and chemical information about surface properties towards finishing products. Two methods are compared and discussed; the Wilhelmy balance based approach and the improved sessile drop measurement method. The colour of the wood surface also influences the choice of finishing products. Some results of measurements carried out on processed wood surfaces by using a portable spectrophotometer (400-700 nm) are presented.