LAUSR

Basalt fabric with manufacturer-made silane sizing was additionally treated by propane-butane enriched atmospheric pressure nitrogen plasma for 15 and 30 s. The wetting improvement of treated fabric was demonstrated by faster soaking of K2CO3 solution. FTIR and XPS analyses confirmed the presence of new nitrogen-containing chemical groups. The impact on adhesion was investigated via a shear strength test of basalt fabric inlay between two beech wooden boards. A short 15 s long treatment led to almost 50% increase in melamine-urea formaldehyde (MUF), polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) and epoxy resin bond strength. Phenol-resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF) needed longer treatment to achieve a bond strength of 11.2 MPa. Only the polyurethane (PUR) showed reduced adhesion to plasma-treated fibers. However, from all tested resins, PUR exhibited the highest bond strength (15.7 MPa) with untreated basalt fabric. The SEM of tested specimens confirmed the changes in the mechanical adherence of resins to plasma treated fibers. Based on these results, PRF and PUR seem to be the most suitable polymers for basalt fibers reinforcement of structural wood-based materials.