Abstract: The disclosed process combines preparatory biocidal treatment, water repellency treatment, and electrical conductivity treatment "in-line" with electrostatic spray coating of wooden articles. The preparatory treatment can be a single step, e.g. immersing a continuously moving line of wooden articles in a treatment bath containing a solution especially designed for this process. The solution is very low in solids (e.g. less than 20%, preferably less than 10%), and the solvent for these solids contains some polar solvent.

Abstract: Non-conductive substrates are prepared for electrostatic coating by pre-treatment with a conductivity-improving composition comprising an alkali metal hydroxide (less than 5 wt. %) and a solvent system for the alkali metal hydroxide comprising a lower alkanol and a hydrocarbonaceous co-solvent. The solvent system flashes off rapidly, but electrical conductivity is not lost. Consequently, production line electrostatic coating techniques can be used, and the residual solvent system does not generally have an adverse effect upon adherence of the electrostatically-sprayed coating to the substrate.