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TECHNOLOGY 39
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Other studies have shown that combining LIBS and an that graphene materials enables obtaining a superhydrophobic
electronic nose technique effectively identifies wood species. wood surface. Yan et al. showed that wood modification with
LIBS is also valuable for quality control of proper wood graphene oxide hinders wood combustion. The researchers also
impregnation. Solo-Gabriele et al. found that LIBS enables the proved that graphene oxide creates a physical and chemical

identification of the impregnation in wood regardless of the barrier during combustion, stopping the reaction chain.
quality of the wood, e.g., the presence of knots or water in
the wood cells and the method of its finishing, e.g., the use Significance of Wood Modification
of varnish or paint coatings. Wood is an environmentally friendly material with huge production
In other studies conducted by López et al., the usefulness of possibilities. Wood is suitable as a construction material in
the method was determined for the elemental characterisation producing furniture, tools, laminates, or wood-based panels.
of layers in polychromes on wood, which provides extensive Wood has excellent physical and mechanical properties and
knowledge on the methods of renovation of monuments high durability under low exposure to variable temperature
carried out at the turn of the century. and humidity conditions.

Because laser pulses travel layer by layer, it is possible to However, the impact of variable humidity on wood is
profile the depth of individual elements in the layer. Identifying enormous. Therefore, the condition for maintaining the durability
differences in the spectral signals of individual elements at of wood in the planned cycle of use is impregnation with
different depths of the material layer enables determining protective agents containing biocides.
material modification’s structural and molecular mechanisms. Wood is also a material that requires fire protection,
Nasiłowska et al., modifying threads made of stainless especially in building structures. Modifying wood with graphene
steel with graphene oxide (GO), observed explicit incorporation oxide can be a helpful solution in the broadly understood

of carbon originating from GO into the surface layer of the wood technology.
native material. There are various methods of wood modification, the
LIBS enabled the authors of the study to observe differences most common of which are chemical impregnation methods.
in the spectral peaks of carbon, not only in the surface layer Depending on the expected conditions of wood use, two
itself and the native material but also in the intermediate layer methods of wood impregnation affect the depth of impregnation
connecting both layers. penetration into the wood.
Graphene and its derivatives are of great interest to Pressure impregnation enables the saturation of the entire
the scientific community due to their unique properties. As volume of wood with chemicals, while pressureless impregnation
indicated by numerous studies, graphene and graphene oxide
Diverse Graphics
have excellent potential in designing functional composites
that are useful for many industries.
Moreover, as indicated by the latest research, graphene
oxide can be helpful in wood modification to improve its
properties or give it new ones, which are characteristic of
other engineering materials. Boudjellal et al. presented the
results of wood modification with graphene oxide, indicating

the modified material’s obtained antistatic properties.
In other studies conducted by Łukawski et al., it was found