Effect of Low-Pressure Nitrogen DC Plasma Treatment on the Surface Properties of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene, Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) and Polyvinyl Chloride Films

In this study, commercial biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films were treated with nitrogen plasma over different exposure times in a Pyrex tube surrounded by a DC variable magnetic field. The chemical changes that appeared on the surface of the samples were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR- FTIR) spectroscopy after treatment for 2 min, 4 min and 6 min in a nitrogen plasma chamber. Effects of the plasma treatment on the surface topographies and contact angles of the untreated and plasma treated films were also analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a contact angle measuring system. The results show that the plasma treated films become more hydrophilic with an enhanced wettability due to the formation of some new polar groups on the surface of the treated films. Moreover, at higher exposure times, the total surface energy in all treated films increased while a reduction in contact angle occurred. The behavior of surface roughness in each sample was completely different at higher exposure times.     

Low Pressure DC Glow Discharge Air Plasma Surface Treatment of Polyethylene (PE) Film for Improvement of Adhesive Properties

The present work deals with the change in surface properties of polyethylene (PE) film using DC low pressure glow discharge air plasma and makes it useful for technical applications. The change in hydrophilicity of the modified PE film surface was investigated by measuring contact angle and surface energy as a function of exposure time. Changes in the morphological and chemical composition of PE films were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The improvement in adhesion was studied by measuring T-peel and lap-shear strength. The results show that the wettability and surface energy of the PE film has been improved due to the introduction of oxygen-containing polar groups and an increase in surface roughness. The XPS result clearly shows the increase in concentration of oxygen content and the formation of polar groups on the polymer surface. The AFM observation on PE film shows that the roughness of the surface increased due to plasma treatment. The above morphological and chemical changes enhanced the adhesive properties of the PE film surfaces, which was confirmed by T-peel and lap-shear tests.     

Synergistic Effect of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Pre-Treatment on Alkaline Etching of Polyethylene Terephthalate Fabrics and Films

Dyeing of PET materials by traditional methods presents several problems.Plasma technology has received enormous attention as a solution for the environmental problems related with textile surface modifications,and there has been a rapid development and commercialization of plasma technology over the past decade.In this work,the synergistic effect of atmospheric pressure plasma on alkaline etching and deep coloring of dyeing properties on polyethylene terephthalate(PET)fabrics and films was investigated.The topographical changes of the PET surface were investigated by atomic force microscopy(AFM)images,which revealed a smooth surface morphology of the untreated sample whereas a high surface roughness for the plasma and/or alkaline treated samples.The effects of atmospheric pressure plasma on alkaline etching of the structure and properties of PET were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),the main objective of performing DSC was to investigate the effect of the plasma pre-treatment on the T_g and T_m.Using a tensile strength tester YG065 H and following a standard procedure the maximum force and elongation at maximum force of PET materials was investigated.Oxygen and argon plasma pre-treatment was found to increase the PET fabric weight loss rate.The color strength of PET fabrics was increased by various plasma pre-treatment times.The penetration of plasma and alkaline reactive species deep into the PET structure results in better dyeability and leaves a significant effect on the K/S values of the plasma pre-treated PET.It indicated that plasma pre-treatment has a great synergistic effect with the alkaline treatment of PET.     

Surface Modification of Fluororubber Using Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge （DBD）

Fluoride rubber F2311 film, an alternating copolymer of CF2-CFC1 （CTFE） and CH2-CF2 （VF2） components, was treated by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） in air. The surface structure, topography and surface chemistry of the treated F2311 films were characterized by contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy （AFM）, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, respectively. The experimental results showed that a short time air plasma treatment led to morphological, wettability and chemical changes in the F2311 films. The surface hydrophilicity increased greatly after the plasma treatment, the static water contact angle decreased from 98.6° to 32°, and oxygen containing groups （C=O, O-C=O, etc. ） were introduced. Atomic force microscopy revealed that plasma produced by DBD etched F2311 films obviously. The roughness of the samples increased remarkably with the formation of peaks and valleys on the treated surfaces. The increased surface wettability may be correlated with both the introduction of hydrophilic groups due to air plasma oxidation of the surface and the change in surface morphology etched by DBD.     

Study on Glow Discharge Plasma Used in Polyester Surface Modification

To achieve an atmospheric pressure glow discharge(APGD)in air and modify the surface of polyester thread using plasma,the electric field distribution and discharge characteristics under different conditions were studied.We found that the region with a strong electric field,which was formed in a tiny gap between two electrodes constituting a line-line contact electrode structure,provided the initial electron for the entire discharge process.Thus,the discharge voltage was reduced.The dielectric barrier of the line-line contact electrodes can inhibit the generation of secondary electrons.Thus,the transient current pulse discharge was reduced significantly,and an APGD in air was achieved.We designed double layer line-line contact electrodes,which can generate the APGD on the surface of a material under treatment directly.A noticeable change in the surface morphology of polyester fiber was visualized with the aid of a scanning electron microscope(SEM).Two electrode structures–the multi-row line-line and double-helix line-line contact electrodes–were designed.A large area of the APGD plasma with flat and curved surfaces can be formed in air using these contact electrodes.This can improve the efficiency of surface treatment and is significant for the application of the APGD plasma in industries.     

Investigation of working pressure on the surface roughness controlling technology of glow discharge polymer films based on the diagnosed plasma

The effects of working pressure on the component, surface morphology, surface roughness, and deposition rate of glow discharge polymer(GDP) films by a trans-2-butene/hydrogen gas mixture were investigated based on plasma characteristics diagnosis. The composition and ion energy distributions of a multi-carbon(C_4H_8/H_2) plasma mixture at different working pressures were diagnosed by an energy-resolved mass spectrometer(MS) during the GDP film deposition process. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT–IR), field emission scanning electron microscope(SEM) and white-light interferometer(WLI) results were obtained to investigate the structure, morphology and roughness characterization of the deposited films, respectively. It was found that the degree of ionization of the C_4H_8/H_2 plasma reduces with an increase in the working pressure. At a low working pressure, the C–H fragments exhibited small-mass and high ion energy in plasma. In this case, the film had a low CH_3/CH_2 ratio, and displayed a smooth surface without any holes, cracks or asperities. While the working pressure increased to 15 Pa,the largest number of large-mass fragments led to the deposition rate reaching a maximum of 2.11 μm h~(-1), and to hole defects on the film surface. However, continuing to increase the working pressure, the film surface became smooth again, and the interface between clusters became inconspicuous without etching pits.     

Cytotoxicity of Boron-Doped Nanocrystalline Diamond Films Prepared by Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

Boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond(NCD) exhibits extraordinary mechanical properties and chemical stability,making it highly suitable for biomedical applications.For implant materials,the impact of boron-doped NCD films on the character of cell growth(i.e.,adhesion,proliferation) is very important.Boron-doped NCD films with resistivity of 10~(-2)Ω·cm were grown on Si substrates by the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition(MPCVD) process with H_2 bubbled B_2O_3.The crystal structure,diamond character,surface morphology,and surface roughness of the boron-doped NCD films were analyzed using different characterization methods,such as X-ray diffraction(XRD),Raman spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and atomic force microscopy(AFM).The contact potential difference and possible boron distribution within the film were studied with a scanning kelvin force microscope(SKFM).The cytotoxicity of films was studied by in vitro tests,including fluorescence microscopy,SEM and MTT assay.Results indicated that the surface roughness value of NCD films was 56.6 nm and boron was probably accumulated at the boundaries between diamond agglomerates.MG-63 cells adhered well and exhibited a significant growth on the surface of films,suggesting that the boron-doped NCD films were non-toxic to cells.     

Deposition of SiC_xH_yO_z thin film on epoxy resin by nanosecond pulsed APPJ for improving the surface insulating performance

Non-thermal plasma surface modification for epoxy resin(EP)to improve the insulation properties has wide application prospects in gas insulated switchgear and gas insulatedtransmission line.In this paper,a pulsed Ar dual dielectrics atmospheric-pressure plasma jet(APPJ)was used for Si C_xH_yO_zthin film deposition on EP samples.The film deposition was optimized by varying the treatment time while other parameters were kept at constants(treatment distance:10 mm,precursor flow rate:0.6 l min~(-1),maximum instantaneous power:3.08 k W and single pulse energy:0.18 m J).It was found that the maximum value of flashover voltages for negative and positive voltage were improved by 18%and 13%when the deposition time was3 min,respectively.The flashover voltage reduced as treatment time increased.Moreover,all the surface conductivity,surface charge dissipation rate and surface trap level distribution reached an optimal value when thin film deposition time was 3 min.Other measurements,such as atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscope for EP surface morphology,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for EP surface compositions,optical emission spectra for APPJ deposition process were carried out to better understand the deposition processes and mechanisms.The results indicated that the original organic groups(C–H,C–C,C=O,C=C)were gradually replaced by the Si containing inorganic groups(Si–O–Si and Si–OH).The reduction of C=O in ester group and C=C in p-substituted benzene of the EP samples might be responsible for shallowing the trap level and then enhancing the flashover voltage.However,when the plasma treatment time was longer than 3 min,the significant increase of the surface roughness might increase the trap level depth and then deteriorate the flashover performance.     

Investigation on Plasma Jet Flow Phenomena During DC Air Arc Motion in Bridge-Type Contacts

Arc plasma jet flow in the air was investigated under a bridge-type contacts in a DC 270 V resistive circuit.We characterized the arc plasma jet flow appearance at different currents by using high-speed photography,and two polished contacts were used to search for the relationship between roughness and plasma jet flow.Then,to make the nature of arc plasma jet flow phenomena clear,a simplified model based on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory was established and calculated.The simulated DC arc plasma was presented with the temperature distribution and the current density distribution.Furthermore,the calculated arc flow vclocity field showed that the circular vortex was an embodiment of the arc plasma jet flow progress.The combined action of volume force and contact surface was the main reason of the arc jet flow.     

Influence of Erosion and Deposition on Metallic First Mirror in HT-7 Tokamak

Dedicated experiments in the HT-7 tokamak were performed to investigate the in-fluence of erosion and deposition on the mirror samples.The first mirror (FM) samples made of polycrystalline (PC) stainless steel (SS),molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W) were fixed on a holder at an angle of 45 with respect to the horizontal plane and set at different locations with different connection lengths along the magnetic field.The optical reflectivity of the first mirror was measured by a spectrophotometer before and after plasma exposure.It was found that the surface morphology and specular reflectivity of the mirror samples after the exposure were different with respect to the different distances from the mirror surface to the last closed flux surface (LCFS) of the plasma in the tokamak.It was also found that shortening the connection length before the mirror surface would weaken the influence of the plasma erosion and impurity deposition on the mirror surface.In order to maintain the optical characteristics of the mirror surface,it is necessary to adopt the in-situ cleaning and mirror protection techniques.     

Investigations into the Anti-Felting Properties of Sputtered Wool Using Plasma Treatment

In this research the effects of mordant and plasma sputtering treatments on the crystallinity and morphological properties of wool fabrics were investigated. The felting behavior of the treated samples was also studied. We used madder as a natural dye and copper sulfate as a metal mordant. We also used copper as the electrode material in a DC magnetron plasma sputtering device. The anti-felting properties of the wool samples before and after dying was studied, and it was shown that the shrink resistance and anti-felting behavior of the wool had been significantly improved by the plasma sputtering treatment. In addition, the percentage of crystallinity and the size of the crystals were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer, and a scanning electron microscope was used for morphological analysis. The amount of copper particles on the surface of the mordanted and sputtered fabrics was studied using the energy dispersive X- ray (EDX) method, and the hydrophobic properties of the samples were examined using the water drop test. The results show that with plasma sputtering treatment, the hydrophobic properties of the surface of wool become super hydrophobic.     

Deactivation of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms on a Tooth Surface Using He Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

This paper presents a study of the effect of the low temperature atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) on the Streptococcus mutans biofilms formed on tooth surface. Pig jaws were also treated by plasma to detect if there is any harmful effect on the gingiva.The plasma was characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy.Experimental data indicated that the discharge is very effective in deactivating Streptococcus mutans biofilms.It can destroy them with an average decimal reduction time(D-time) of 19 s and about 98%of thein were killed after a treatment time of 30 s.According to the survival curve kinetic an overall 32 s treatment time would be necessary to perform a complete sterilization.The experimental results presented in this study indicated that the helium dielectric barrier discharge,in plan-parallel electrode configuration,could be a very effective tool for deactivation of oral bacteria and might be a promising technique in various dental clinical applications.     

Improving the surface insulation of epoxy resin by plasma etching

Epoxy resin (EP) tends to accumulate a large amount of charge on its surface when exposed to a high-voltage DC electric field,which leads to a reduction in its insulative performance and an increase in potential safety risks in power systems.To suppress charge accumulation,improve the flashover voltage of the EP,and reduce the risk of gas insulated switchgear (GIS)/gas insulated transmission line (GIL) failure,we used two plasma-etching methods,i.e.,atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet(APPJ),to modify the surface of the EP.The surface morphology and electrical properties of the modified materials were explored as a function of time.The results show that after DBD treatment,the roughness of the sample increases by 103.9 nm,the conductivity increases by3.9?×?10~(–18)S,and the flashover voltage increases by 14.4%;after APPJ treatment,the roughness of the sample increases by 223.5 nm,the conductivity increases by 3.4?×?10~(–17)S,and the flashover voltage increases by 18%.This shows that both plasma-etching methods can improve the insulation properties of materials by improving the surface-charge characteristics.The two methods are compared with each other:the APPJ treatment method is better at improving the surface roughness and electrical properties of materials,and this flexible treatment method has greater potential in industrial applications.     

Investigation of the factors affecting the limit of detection of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for surface inspection

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS) was examined to detect a trace substance adhered onto Al alloys for the surface inspection of materials to be adhesively bonded. As an example of Si contamination, silicone oil was employed and sprayed onto substrates with a controlled surface concentration. LIBS measurements employing nanosecond UV pulses(λ?=?266 nm) and an off-axis emission collection system with different detecting heights were performed. Because surface contaminants are involved in the plasma formed by laser ablation of the substrates, the relative contribution of the surface contaminants and the substrates to the plasma emission could be changed depending on the conditions for plasma formation. The limit of detection(LOD) was evaluated under several detecting conditions for investigating the factors that affected the LOD. A significant factor was the standard deviation values of signal intensities obtained for the clean substrates. This value varied depending on the measurement conditions.For the Al alloy(A6061), the smallest LOD obtained was 0.529 μg?·?cm~(-2). Furthermore, an improved LOD(0.299 μg?·?cm~(-2)) was obtained for the Al alloy with a lower Si content.     

Effect of Low-Frequency Power on Etching Characteristics of 6H-SiC in C4Fs/Ar Dual-Frequency Capacitively Coupled Plasma

Dry etching of 6H silicon carbide （6H-SiC） wafers in a C4Fs/Ar dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma （DF-CCP） was investigated. Atomic force microscopy （AFM） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） were used to measure the SiC surface structure and compositions, respectively. Optical emission spectroscopy （OES） was used to measure the relative concentration of F radicals in the plasma. It was found that the roughness of the etched SiC surface and the etching rate are directly related to the power of low-frequency （LF） source. At lower LF power, a smaller surface roughness and a lower etching rate are obtained due to weak bombardment of low energy ions on the SiC wafers. At higher LF power the etching rate can be efficiently increased, but the surface roughness increases too. Compared with other plasma dry etching methods, the DF-CCP can effectively inhibit CχFγ films＇ deposition, and reduce surface residues.     

Investigation on the Effects and Mechanisms of PTFE Surface Modification by Low Pressure Plasma

Using argon as the work gas,the effects and mechanisms of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film surface modification were investigated in a low pressure plasma reactor.Results show that higher hydrophilicity with little degradation,in terms of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM),was obtained after treatment,especially when the sample was placed in the post-discharge area.More polar functional groups and higher surface free energy,especially the polar component,formed on the PTFE surface were responsible for the modification.For the relatively high purity radicals and rare discharge particles in the post-discharge area,the etching was restrained and the introducing reactions were enhanced,and thus,a better modification occurred there.     

Surface Treatment of Polypropylene Films Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge with Magnetic Field

Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma is of interest for industrial applications.In this study,polypropylene (PP) films are modified by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with a non-uniform magnetic field in air at atmospheric pressure.The surface properties of the PP films before and after a DBD treatment are studied by using contact angle measurement,atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The effect of treatment time on the surface modification with and without a magnetic field is investigated.It is found that the hydrophilic improvement depends on the treatment time and magnetic field.It is also found that surface roughness and oxygen-containing groups are introduced onto the PP film surface after the DBD treatment.Surface roughness and oxygen-containing polar functional groups of the PP films increase with the magnetic induction density.The functional groups are identified as C-O,C=O and O-C=O by using XPS analysis.It is concluded that the hydrophilic improvement of PP films treated with a magnetic field is due to a greater surface roughness and more oxygen-containing groups.     

Cu Films Deposited by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering Enhanced by ICP and External Magnetic Field Confinement

Metallic copper（Cu） films were deposited on a Si （100） substrate by unbalanced magnetron sputtering enhanced by radio-frequency plasma and external magnetic field confinement. The morphology and structure of the films were examined by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscope （AFM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The surface average roughness of the deposited Cu films was characterized by AFM data and resistivity was measured by a four-point probe. The results show that the Cu films deposited with radio-frequency discharge enhanced ionization and external magnetic field confinement have a smooth surface, low surface roughness and low resistivity. The reasons may be that the radio-frequency discharge and external magnetic field enhance the plasma density, which further improves the ion bombardment effect under the same bias voltage conditions. Ion bombardment can obviously influence the growth features and characteristics of the deposited Cu films.     

Physical Engineering Test and First Divertor Plasma Configuration in EAST

Physical engineering capability on the superconducting magnetic system of EAST was tested and first divertor plasma configuration in EAST was obtained. The extrapolation of the safety limit has verified the reliability of the system for long pulse operation. A stably controlled diverted plasmas configuration with an elongation n in excess of 1.8 and plasma current of up to 500 kA, by using the （copper） internal coils to control the vertical displacement instability was obtained by an optimized plasma control algorithm. Highly shaped plasma at various configurations, which almost covers all designed configurations for EAST, was generated stably. A number of operational issues, such as plasma initiation, ramp up and configuration control with constraints of superconducting coils, were successfully investigated. All of the results obtained proved both the capability of the superconducting poloidal magnets for operation under steady-state condition and effectiveness of the plasma control algorithm for EAST.     

Temporal and spatial dynamics of optical emission from laser ablation of the first wall materials of fusion device

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS) has been developed to in situ diagnose the chemical compositions of the first wall in the EAST tokamak. However, the dynamics of optical emission of the key plasma-facing materials, such as tungsten, molybdenum and graphite have not been investigated in a laser produced plasma(LPP) under vacuum. In this work, the temporal and spatial dynamics of optical emission were investigated using the spectrometer with ICCD.Plasma was produced by an Nd:YAG laser(1064 nm) with pulse duration of 6 ns. The results showed that the typical lifetime of LPP is less than 1.4 μs, and the lifetime of ions is shorter than atoms at ~10~(-6)mbar. Temporal features of optical emission showed that the optimized delay times for collecting spectra are from 100 to 400 ns which depended on the corresponding species. For spatial distribution, the maximum LIBS spectral intensity in plasma plume is obtained in the region from 1.5 to 3.0 mm above the sample surface. Moreover, the plasma expansion velocity involving the different species in a multicomponent system was measured for obtaining the proper timing(gate delay time and gate width) of the maximum emission intensity and for understanding the plasma expansion mechanism. The order of expansion velocities for various species is V_C~+ V_H V_(Si)~+ V_(Li) V_(Mo) V_W.These results could be attributed to the plasma sheath acceleration and mass effect. In addition, an optimum signal-to-background ratio was investigated by varying both delay time and detecting position.