The effects of surface roughness on varnish adhesion strength of wood materials

In this study, the effects of surface roughness of wood material on the adhesion strength of varnish layers have been tested. For this purpose, test samples of beech (Fagus orientalis L.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and cherry (Prunus cerasus) wood species were prepared and sanded with 80, 120, and 180 grit abrasives. The surface roughness values of specimens were determined using a stylus-type profilometer TIME TR 200 according to the ISO 4287 standards. Then, water-based, polyurethane, and acrylic varnish were applied to the surfaces of the samples in accordance with ASTM-D 3023. Layer adhesion strength was determined to the TS EN ISO 4624 standards. As a result, the highest adhesion strength value (2.52 N/mm²) was found in cherry, while the Scots pine had the lowest value (2.32 N/mm²). For the varnish types, polyurethane varnish types gave the highest value (3.15 N/mm²), while the lowest value was obtained from the water-based varnish. Looking at interactions between adhesion strength and surface roughness, the water-based varnish had the strongest correlation with adhesion strength (69%) and acrylic varnish also had a similar result (67%), while polyurethane varnish had the weakest result (33%) in this interaction.