Surface Treatment of Polyethylene Terephthalate Film Using Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge in Air

Non-thermal plasmas under atmospheric pressure are of great interest in polymer surface processing because of their convenience, effectiveness and low cost. In this paper, the treatment of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film surface for improving hydrophilicity using the non-thermal plasma generated by atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) in air is conducted. The discharge characteristics of APGD are shown by measurement of their electrical discharge parameters and observation of light-emission phenomena, and the surface properties of PET before and after the APGD treatment are studied using contact angle measurement, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is found that the APGD is homogeneous and stable in the whole gas gap, which differs from the commonly filamentary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). A short time (several seconds) APGD treatment can modify the surface characteristics of PET film markedly and uniformly. After 10 s APGD treatment, the     

RC-Coupled Atmospheric Glow Discharge in Air

Resistance and capacity-coupled glow discharge （RCCGD） is a new method to produce atmospheric pressure glow discharge in air. In RCCGD, each electrode is connected with both a resistor R and a capacitor C. The R and C can provide a negative feedback to prevent the transition from glow to spark discharge. The influence of coupled resistance, coupled capacity, inter-electrode gap and power source frequency on the discharge is studied and discussed.     

Inactivation of Escherichia Coli Using Remote Low Temperature Glow Discharge Plasma

Low-temperature plasma is distinguished as a developing approach for sterilization which can deal with and overcome those problems such as thermal sensitivity and destruction by heat, formation of toxic by-products, higher costs and inefficiency in performances, caused by conventional methods. In this study, an experimental investigation was undertaken to characterize the effects of the operational parameters, such as treating time, discharge power and gas flow rate, of remote glow discharge air plasma. The results show that the inactivation of Escherichia coli can reach above 99.99% in less than 60 seconds and the optimal operational conditions for treating time, discharge power and gas flow rate were： 40 s, 80 W and 60 cm^3/min, respectively. The contribution of UV radiation during plasma germ deactivation is very limited.     

Study of Titanizing the Surface of Copper Substrates by the Double Glow Discharge Plasma Surface Alloying Technique

This paper discusses a study in which Ti surface alloying has been performed on copper substrates by means of a double glow discharge plasma surface alloying technique. The micro-structure, the phase structure, the micro-hardness and the distribution of Ti concentration of alloying layer were investigated in detail by XRD, SEM and so on. The effect of process parameters on the alloying layer was studied. The experimental results show that a Ti solid solution with the precipitation Cu4Ti alloying layer has been formed on the copper surface. The thickness of the alloying layer is about 120 μm and the surface titanium concentration gradually decreases from ω （Ti） = 87% to ω （Ti） = 4%. The micro-hardness of the alloying layer is between 300 HV-800 HV. Source sputtering, surface absorption, ion bombarding and high temperature diffusion are the major factors that affect the alloying layer.     

Study of Atmospheric Pressure Abnormal Glow Discharge

Atmospheric pressure abnormal glow discharge （APAGD） was carried out simply with a transformer of 1 ： 500 driven by a alternating current with a frequency of 50 Hz. Typical stable discharge parameters, namely voltage of 400 V to 850 V and current of 60 mA to 110 mA were measured by oscillograph. Simulation of the discharge process suggested that the stable discharge was supported by the impedance from the secondary coil of the transformer, which offered a negative feedback to prevent the discharge from turning into an arc. An interpretation was given for the oscillogram of the sinuous discharge current and square voltage. Furthermore, the electron temperature and electron density averaged in the discharge channel of APAGD were estimated.     

Surface Modification of Polyethylene （PE） Films Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure

Modification of the surface properties of polyethylene （PE） films is studied using air dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure. The treated samples are examined by Water contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy （FTIR-ATR）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. With the increase in treating time, the water contact angle changes from 93.2° before treatment to a minimum of 53.3° after a treatment for 50 s. Both ATR and XPS results show some oxidized species are introduced into the sample surface by the plasma treatment and the tendency of the water contact angle with the treating time is the same as that of oxygen concentration on the treated sample surface. SEM result shows the surface roughness of PE samples increases with the treatment time increasing.     

Characteristics of a Normal Glow Discharge Excited by DC Voltage in Atmospheric Pressure Air

Atmospheric pressure glow discharges were generated in an air gap between a needle cathode and a water anode. Through changing the ballast resistor and gas gap width between the electrodes, it has been found that the discharges are in normal glow regime judged from the currentvoltage characteristics and visualization of the discharges. Results indicate that the diameter of the positive column increases with increasing discharge current or increasing gap width. Optical emission spectroscopy is used to calculate the electron temperature and vibrational temperature. Both the electron temperature and the vibrational temperature increases with increasing discharge current or increasing gap width. Spatially resolved measurements show that the maxima of electron temperature and vibrational temperature appeared in the vicinity of the needle cathode.     

Polymer Surface Treatment by Atmospheric Pressure Low Temperature Surface Discharge Plasma： Its Characteristics and Comparison with Low Pressure Oxygen Plasma Treatment

The polymer treatment with a low-temperature plasma jet generated on the atmospheric pressure surface discharge （SD） plasma is performed. The change of the surface property over time, in comparison with low pressure oxygen （O2） plasma treatment, is examined. As one compares the treatment by atmospheric pressure plasma to that by the low pressure O2 plasma of PS （polystyrene） the treatment effects were almost in complete agreement. However, when the atmospheric pressure plasma was used for PP（polypropylene）, it produced remarkable hydrophilic effects.     

Application of the Multi-Electrode in the Degradation of Alizarin Red Induced by Glow Discharge Plasma

This paper presents a novel set-up to be used in the degradation of dye, Various influencing factors, such as the voltage, the number of the anodes, and the catalytic action of Fe^2＋, were examined. Chemical oxygen demand （COD）, ultraviolet （UV）, FTIR absorption spectra, and atomic force microscopy （AFM） were used to monitor the degradation process. The results showed that the efficiency of degradation is raised by increasing the applied voltage, and is further improved when two or three anodes are used. Moreover, the use of Fe^2＋ ion can promote the degradation reaction and shorten the degradation time. So the multi-electrode instrument is more efficient in degrading the dye and should be further studied.     

Synthesis of Poly （Butyl Methacrylate/Butyl Acrylate） Highly Absorptive Resin Using Glow Discharge Electrolysis

A highly absorptive resin poly （butyl methacrylate （BMA）-co-butyl acrylate （BA）） was prepared by emulsion polymerization, which was initiated by glow discharge electrolysis plasma （GDEP）. The effects of discharge voltage, discharge time, monomer ratio and the amounts of cross- linking agent were examined and discussed in detaiI. The chemical structure of the obtained resin was characterized by means of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The optimal conditions were ob- tained as： discharge voltage was 600 V, discharge time was 8 min, the ratios of BMA：BA being 2：1 for chloroform and 3：1 for xylene, with 2% N, N＇-methylenebis. Under optimal conditions, the oil absorbency was 70 g/g for chloroform and 46 g/g for xylene. Moreover, the absorptive dynamical behavior of the resulting resin was also investigated.     

Degradation of Anionic Dye Eosin by Glow Discharge Electrolysis Plasma

This paper describes a novel method for the degradation of eosin by using glow discharge electrolysis （GDE）. The effects of various parameters on the removal efficiency were studied. It was found that the eosin degradation could be raised considerably by increasing the applied voltage and the initial concentration, or by decreasing pH of the aqueous solution. Fe^2＋ ion had an evident accelerating effect on the eosin degradation. The degradation process of eosin obeyed a pseudo-first-order reaction. The relationship between the degradation rate constant k and the reaction temperature T could be expressed by Arrhenius equation with which the apparent activation energy Ea of 14.110 kJ· mol^-1 and the pre-exponential factor k0 of 2.065× 10^-1 min^-1 were obtained, too. The determination of hydroxyl radical was carried out by using N, N-dimethyl -p-nitrosoaniline （RNO） as a scavenger. The results showed that the hydroxyl radical plays an important role in the degradation process.     

Improvement of Polytetrafluoroethylene Surface Energy by Repetitive Pulse Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment in Atmospheric Air

Improvement of polytetrafluoroethylene surface energy by non-thermal plasma treatment is presented, using a nanosecond-positive-edge repetitive pulsed dielectri...     

Surface Modification of Polyethylene by Heparin for Improvement of Antithrombogenicity

The purpose of this paper was to enhance blood compatibility of polyethylene （PE） film. PE film pretreated by argon plasma was subjected to ultraviolet （UV） -induced graft polymerization with Acrylic acid（AAc） （AAc-grafted PE films, PE-g-PAAc） without photo-initiator, then heparin was covalently immobilized on the PE surface （PE-g-HPAAc）. The surface properties and microstructure of PE-g-PAAc and PE-g-HPAAc were studied by static contact angle measurement, atomic force microscope （AFM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy （ATR-FTIR）. It was confirmed that AAc and heparin were successfully immobilized onto the surface of PE film. Results of platelet adhesion experiments indicated that the antithrombogenicity of the modified PE film was remarkably improved.     

High-Density Polyethylene(HDPE) Surface Treatment Using an RF Capacitive Atmospheric Pressure Cold Ar Plasma Jet

In this study,a high-density polyethylene（HDPE,5-mm-thick,0.95 g/cm3） surface was treated using an RF capacitive atmospheric pressure cold Ar plasma jet.By using this Ar plasma jet,a hydrophilic HDPE surface was formed during the plasma treatment.In particular, the effects of an additive gas（N₂ or O2） on the HDPE surface treatment were investigated in detail.It was shown that the addition of N2 or O2 gas had an important influence on the HDPE surface treatment.Compared to pure Ar plasma treatment,a lower value of water contact angle （WCA） was obtained when a trace of N2 or O2 gas was added.It was also found that besides the quantities of active species in the plasma jet,the treatment temperature played an important role in the HDPE surface treatment.This is because surface molecular motion is not negligible when the treatment temperature is close to the melting point of the polymer.     

Investigation of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Discharge and Its Application to Surface Modification of Blood-Filtering Material

Melt-blown polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) nonwoven materials treated by using plasma is regarded as one of the excellent materials to filter white blood cells (WBC) from blood.In this paper, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma source at an improved quasi-stable atmospheric pressure is achieved when discharge voltage, discharge current, and gap between the electrodes are carefully controlled. This plasma source has been used to modify the surface of PBT melt-blown nonwoven materials. Experimental results indicate that both the wettablity and permeation of treated PBT melt-blown nonwoven materials are greatly improved.     

Surface Decontamination of Chemical Agent Surrogates Using an Atmospheric Pressure Air Flow Plasma Jet

An atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma jet generator using air flow as the feedstock gas was applied to decontaminate the chemical agent surrogates on the surface of aluminum, stainless steel or iron plate painted with alkyd or PVC. The experimental results of material decontamination show that the residual chemical agent on the material is lower than the permissible value of the National Military Standard of China. In order to test the corrosion effect of the plasma jet on different material surfaces in the decontamination process, corrosion tests for the materials of polymethyl methacrylate, neoprene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), phenolic resin, iron plate painted with alkyd, stainless steel, aluminum, etc. were carried out, and relevant parameters were examined, including etiolation index, chromatism, loss of gloss, corrosion form, etc. The results show that the plasma jet is slightly corrosive for part of the materials, but their performances are not affected. A portable calculator, computer display, mainboard, circuit board of radiogram, and a hygrometer could work normally after being treated by the plasma jet.     

Improving Hydrophobicity of Glass Surface Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge Treatment in Atmospheric Air

Non-thermal plasmas under atmospheric pressure are of great interest in industrial applications, especially in material surface treatment. In this paper, the treatment of a glass surface for improving hydrophobicity using the non-thermal plasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） at atmospheric pressure in ambient air is conducted, and the surface properties of the glass before and after the DBD treatment are studied by using contact angle measurement, surface resistance measurement and wet flashover voltage tests. The effects of the applied voltage and time duration of DBD on the surface modification are studied, and the optimal conditions for the treatment are obtained. It is found that a layer of hydrophobic coating is formed on the glass surface after spraying a thin layer of silicone oil and undergoing the DBD treatment, and the improvement of hydrophobicity depends on DBD voltage and treating time. It seems that there exists an optimum treating time for a certain applied voltage of DBD during the surface treatment, The test results of thermal aging and chemical aging show that the hydrophobic layer has quite stable characteristics. The interaction mechanism between the DBD plasma and the glass surface is discussed. It is concluded that CHa and large molecule radicals can react with the radicals in the glass surface to replace OH, and the hydrophobicity of the glass surface is improved accordingly.     

Surface Modification of Biodegradable Poly(D,L-lactic acid)by Nitrogen and Nitrogen/Hydrogen Plasma for Improving Surface Hydrophilicity

Enhancement of the surface hydrophilicity of biodegradable poly (D,L-lactic acid) (PLA) films is studied. The PLA films were treated by nitrogen plasma (PLA-N2) and nitrogen/hydrogen plasma (PLA-N2/H2), respectively. The surface properties and microstructure of PLA-N2 and PLA-N2/H2 were studied by static contact angle measurement, surface free energy calculation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is confirmed that the surface hydrophilicity of PLA-N2 and PLA-N2/H2 was higher than that of pristine PLA, and the surface hydrophilicity of PLA-N2 films was better than that of PLA-N2/H2.     

Experimental Study on Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuator with Different Encapsulated Electrode Widths for Airflow Control at Atmospheric Pressure

The surface dielectric barrier discharge(SDBD) plasma actuator has shown great promise as an aerodynamic flow control device. In this paper, the encapsulated electrode width of a SDBD actuator is changed to study the airflow acceleration behavior. The effects of encapsulated electrode width on the actuator performance are experimentally investigated by measuring the dielectric layer surface potential, time-averaged ionic wind velocity and thrust force. Experimental results show that the airflow velocity and thrust force increase with the encapsulated electrode width. The results can be attributed to the distinct plasma distribution at different encapsulated electrode widths.     

Numerical Analysis of Carbon Isotope Separation by Plasma Chemical Reactions in Carbon Monoxide Glow Discharge

The separation of carbon isotopes in CO glow discharge has been studied, in which the formation of stable products enriched in ¹³C is analyzed by the numerical simulation of kinetic model. Vibrational kinetics and vibrationally induced chemical reaction of CO molecules are considered in the kinetic model as well as electron impact reactions and isotope scrambling reactions of isotopically enriched products. The reaction yield and final isotope enrichment of the stable products are derived as a function of mean electron energy. When mean electron energy is 2.1 eV in the case of Maxwellian electron energy distribution and 3.3 eV in the case of Druyvesteyn one, the kinetic model can reproduce experimental isotope enrichment of precipitated carbon atoms in discharge reactor. The calculation suggests optimum mean electron energy of the plasma for isotope separation as 1.0 eV and, in this case, it is expected that ¹³C enrichment coefficient for precipitated carbon atoms is about 10 and its reaction yield is about 0.5%.