Effect of DC steam plasma on gasifying carbonized waste

A feasibility study has been conducted to determine whether steam plasma can be used for the treatment of carbonized wastes, such as the carbide of the hazardous waste. The gasification which was often called “water gas reaction” was studied to reduce the volume and weight of wastes and to produce the combustible gas like hydrogen from them by using steam plasma. In this study, the thermal plasma generated by DC plasma was used as a heat source, where steam was added to react with carbon. Graphite was used as a test piece instead of carbonized wastes. The weight of the test piece was measured before and after treatment to decide the weight reduction during the experiment. The gas produced in the reaction was analyzed. The result indicated that it is possible to reduce the weight of graphite and to produce the combustible gas from graphite by using the DC steam plasma.     

Adhesive properties of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film surfaces treated by DC glow discharge plasma

In this study, the adhesive properties of the plasma modified polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film surfaces have been investigated. Hydrophilicity of these polymer film surfaces was studied by contact angle measurements. The surface energy of the polymer films was calculated from contact angle data using Fowkes method. The chemical composition of the polymer films was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the changes in surface feature of the polymer surfaces due to plasma treatment. The adhesion strength of the plasma modified film was studied by T-peel strength test. The results showed a considerable improvement in surface wettability even for short exposure times. The AFM and XPS analyses showed changes in surface topography and formation of polar groups on the plasma modified PP and PET surfaces. These changes enhanced the adhesive properties of polymer film surfaces.     

100 kW steam plasma process for treatment of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) waste

Non-transferred DC steam (H₂O) plasma working with 100 kW was applied to minimize production of the toxic byproducts such as dioxins and furans of which formation is not avoidable in the conventional incineration. In the steam plasma process of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture waste, content of combustible gas that can be used as gaseous fuel was about 30% based on wet gas. For the mixture of 27% PCB and 73% CCl₄, total toxic equivalent concentration of PCDD/PCDF was about 0.056 ng TEQ/N m³. It is concluded that the steam plasma torch process was more effective for waste-to-energy and hazardous waste treatment than the air plasma torch process injected steam and the conventional incineration process.     

Performance test of micro ion thruster using microwave discharge

Several types of electric propulsions have been developed and used for artificial satellites on geostationary orbit keeping or planetary exploration. A series of small-scale satellites is recently expected to be used instead of traditional large-scale satellites for reducing launch cost and risk. The trend towards needs of small spacecraft requires micro thrusters with high specific impulse. In this study, a micro ion engine utilizing a microwave discharge plasma was fabricated and was tested. This ion engine comprises some components, such as electrostatic grids, antenna, and microwave power supply, which decide its performance. The performance dependence on the components was examined under several experimental conditions. The typical performance parameters of the engine were ion production cost of 770 V, propellant utilization efficiency of 72%, and thrust of 0.66 mN in conditions of input 2.45 GHz microwave power of 8 W and propellant (xenon gas) flow rate of 0.2 sccm with a star type antenna.     

Diagnostics of microwave ECR generated plasma: Effect of contaminated reference electrode

Langmuir probe diagnostics is performed on microwave ECR generated plasma that is routinely being used in our laboratory for plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) applications. Diagnostics is performed on Argon plasma when the plasma generation chamber was new and also after the prolonged use of this chamber for plasma assisted CVD applications. Clear differences in the values of plasma parameters from the two cases were observed and these differences are explained. The investigations reported here clearly indicate the important role of reference electrode in plasma diagnostics experiments and also suggest that it is very important to have the proper (uncontaminated) reference electrode during plasma diagnostics particularly when measurements are performed in the contaminated chamber.     

Photolysis of gaseous butyl acetate using built-in microwave discharge electrodeless lamps

This paper examined the photolysis of gaseous butyl acetate by built-in microwave discharge electrodeless lamps. Bromine and iodine lamps were used to investigate the effects of microwave input power, inlet concentration, gas residence time, and different filling materials on butyl acetate decomposition and energy yield. Water vapor and ammonia were utilized as additional chemicals to determine if they can improve removal efficiency. Built-in structure and external structure were also compared. When the gas flow velocity is 0.025 m/s, and the inlet concentration is 1.5 mg/m(3), the removal efficiency of butyl acetate can reach over 78%, which is the highest in this study. Additional water vapor and ammonia can hardly improve the degradation. To some extent, built-in MDELs are better than external MDELs. The results will help promote the study of microwave discharge electrodeless lamps and their effect on the degradation of gaseous pollutants. Maybe, as the research goes on, it could realize the span from laboratory scale to practical application, and will become an advanced technology for the gaseous pollutants control.     

High-density polyethylene functionalized by cold plasma and silanes

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) surface was modified by radio-frequency discharge plasma and subsequently grafted by alkoxy silane to form a new surface containing polar functional groups. Reaction of the polar groups with vinyl silanes significantly improved hydrophilicity of the polymer. The decrease of surface energy of polymer modified by plasma in the course of ageing was stabilized by silane grafting. The changes in chemical structure of the polymer were analyzed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, surface roughness was studied using AFM. The surface energy, and its polar contribution of plasma modified HDPE increased, as well as peel strengths of adhesive joints to polyacrylate.     

溅射辅助微波等离子体化学气相沉积SiCN晶体

在微波等离子体化学气相沉积系统中,利用脉冲氮离子束溅射二氰二氨靶产生的碳氮粒子作为合成前驱物,在石英玻璃基片上研究了SiCN晶体的合成。用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线能谱(EDX)、X射线衍射(XRD)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)研究了基片温度对薄膜的形貌、成分和结构的影响。结果表明:随着基片温度的降低,沉积物由截面为六方形的结晶良好的SiCN晶体(800℃)变成发育不完全的聚片状晶体(700℃),直到变成颗粒细小的无定形碳氮薄膜(550℃)。衍射峰的强度以及晶胞参数a和c的值随温度的降低而减小。薄膜为C原子部分取代Si3N4中的Si原子位置而形成的SiCN晶体,其中N原子主要与Si原子结合,C原子以sp3C—N、sp2CN和sp2CC键的形式存在。降低基片温度有利于提高薄膜中的C含量和sp3C—N键的含量。     

Oxygen atom density in microwave oxygen plasma

We determined the density of neutral oxygen atoms in microwave plasma using a fiber-optics catalytic probe (FOCP). Plasma was created within a quartz tube with an outer diameter of 5 cm by a 2.45 GHz microwave generator with an output power up to 1000 W. The oxygen flow was varied between 4 and 20 l/h. The O-atom density was found to increase monotonically with the increasing discharge power, and it decreased with the increasing flow rate. The degree of dissociation of oxygen molecules in the plasma column depended largely on the flow rate. At the oxygen flow of 4 l/h, it was about 18% but it decreased to about 6% at the flow of 20 l/h.     

Synthesis of Ni and bimetallic FeNi nanopowders by microwave plasma method

Nickel nanopowders can be synthesized by microwave plasma synthesis method. The effect of the feeding rate of the precursor material to the average particle size and crystallinity was studied. FeNi bimetallic alloy nanopowders were also successfully synthesized by pre-mixing the respective precursor raw materials before feeding into the plasma reaction zone. The Ni and FeNi nanopowders were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).     

Preparation of indium oxide powders by microwave plasma dehydration of indium hydroxide powders

Indium oxide was prepared from the dehydration of indium hydroxide using atmospheric-pressure microwave air plasma. Compared with the conventional thermal plasma processing that was performed with the vapor phase reaction, the solid-state reaction was attempted in this study because microwave plasma has an intermediate temperature that is comparable to the melting temperature of inorganic materials and between those of the electric furnace and the thermal plasma. The results were compared with those with the electric furnace and the thermal plasma. With both the microwave plasma and the electric furnace, the macro-morphologies of the raw material were maintained, which indicates successful dehydration. However, the micro-morphologies differed. The product of the microwave plasma had a smooth surface, whereas the product of the electric furnace had a cracked and rough surface. The cracks were regarded as the results of the poor diffusion of the dissociated water. In the microwave plasma, the high temperature and the fast heating rate enhanced the diffusion and controlled the formation of cracks. With the application of the thermal plasma, the nanoparticles were prepared due to the vaporization of the dehydrated material. Thus, the microwave plasma is considered applicable to the solid-state reaction accompanying degassing, without a change in the microstructure of the raw material.     

Electrochemical studies of nano-structured diamond thin-film electrodes grown by microwave plasma CVD

In this paper, we report the investigation of the electrochemical properties of nano-structured diamond thin-film electrodes on porous silicon (PSi) synthesized by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). For the application, boron-doped and undoped diamond thin film has been performed and fabricated into an electrode device, and its microstructure, electrical and chemical properties have been studied. In order to enlarge the surface area of diamond electrodes, a negative bias was applied to the MPCVD process to deposit diamond thin film in a nano-structured form, so that its surface remained rough and nano-fine structured. Diamond thin films were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and SEM. The morphology of boron-doped diamond thin films on PSi reveals nano-rods in the shape of diamond crystallites. Their electrochemical properties were evaluated by performing cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement in inorganic K₄[Fe(CN)₆] in a K₂HPO₄ buffer solution. Boron-doped diamond thin film on PSi has demonstrated good electrochemical properties, with a larger redoxidation current of CV, due to its rough surface, which provides a more active electrochemical interface.     

Rapid treatment of polyimide film surfaces using high-density microwave plasma for enhancement of Cu layer adhesion

A high-density microwave plasma has been applied to the surface of polyimide (PI) films as a treatment to enhance the adhesion of sputter-deposited copper layers. A very short (∼5 s) exposure to Ar plasma enhanced the contact angle from 72° to ∼14°. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microprobe measurements showed an increase in hydrophilic radicals (-OH, -CO) and surface roughness, respectively, following the plasma treatment. Peel strength tests of Cu layers deposited on plasma-treated polyimide films showed that the plasma treatment significantly enhanced Cu layer adhesion.     

空心阴极等离子体放电结构的优化设计

 低温等离子体表面处理可以有效克服液相处理法存在的环境污染、耗能大和成本高的缺点,对材料表面进行清洗、活化和接枝处理,而设计一个合理的低温等离子体放电结构能够较好地改进表面处理的质量．通过建立CRFHCP空心阴极等离子体放电的数学模型,分析影响低温等离子体放电的关键因素,并设计了不同电极配置方式、样品位置和不同远区空心阴极结构的众多方案．通过接触角测定、表面能计算、SEM照片等方式,对不同方案下处理前后的疏水性PP薄膜形态结构进行表征分析．实验结果发现：远区径向喷嘴式空心阴极等离子体放电结构处理的薄膜表面比其他处理方式具有较小的接触角和较大的表面能．这表明采用优化设计的CRFHCP空心阴极等离子体放电结构,可以较其他结构更为有效地改善材料表面的亲水性能．     

低气压放电等离子体军事应用分析

首先利用平面电磁波在非磁化均匀等离子体中的色散方程,对不同参数等离子体的电磁特性进行了研究。然后根据等离子体的产生方式及其参数特点,分析了低气压放电等离子体军事应用的可行性。最后重点分析了低气压放电等离子体在等离子体天线和等离子体雷达隐身中应用的原理及其特性。     

Beam plasma discharge at low magnetic field as plasma source for plasma processing reactor

The aims of the research are to study the nature of an effect detected earlier for the formation of ion flows from a beam plasma discharge and to determine possible applications of this effect. These flows propagate in a beam plasma discharge on a normal to the discharge axis. It has been found that the acceleration of ions is a consequence of the potential gradient between an area with a high level of microwave oscillations and a peripheral area of plasma. The results of physical experiments qualitatively correlate with computer simulation data. The analysis of the physical mechanism of the effect has enabled a way of effective control of the flow energy and density to be found. The capability to change the mean energy of the ion flow in the range from 20 up to 70 eV with increase in its density by an order has been demonstrated. A possible application of the effect is a novel plasma processing reactor for treatment of materials used in electronics engineering. In particular, soft etching technology of AlGaAs barrier layers in semiconducting AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures has been demonstrated.     

等离子体交叉场调制开关的相关磁场模拟

等离子体交叉场调制开关(简称PCMS管)采用外加磁场的设计,基于冷阴极潘宁放电原理产生等离子体。本文应用基于有限元法的多物理场仿真模拟软件Comsol 4.0对PCMS管器件模型进行二维建模;同时,建立了电子在磁场作用下的漂移扩散模型;分别对磁场大小以及磁场区域的变化进行了模拟计算,重点讨论磁场的引入对电子密度分布的影响,从而确定磁场的最佳设置。     

Formation phenomena of iron oxide-silica composite in microwave plasma and DC thermal plasma

Iron oxide-silica composite was synthesized using atmospheric microwave plasma and DC thermal plasma. There has recently been increasing interest in predicting the final product during vapor phase synthesis using plasma because of difficulty obtaining desirable product. In this study, vapor phase synthesis of iron oxide-silica composite from iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)₅) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (SiC₈H₂₀O₄, TEOS) was conducted using various Fe/Si ratios and different types of plasma to identify the formation mechanism in the Fe-Si-O multi-component system. The morphologies and phase compositions of the synthesized particles were analyzed and compared. The results showed that the Fe/Si ratio and the type of plasma influenced the morphologies and the phase composition. A thermodynamic consideration was introduced to investigate the particle formation phenomena, which could explain the differences induced by varying the Fe/Si ratio and type of plasma. The particle formation mechanism was divided into a condensation step and a diffusion step. At the condensation step, the Fe/Si ratio determined the condensation temperature, which is related to the morphology. At the diffusion step, the quenching rate of the plasma determined the degree of diffusion, which was related to the phase composition and formation of the external layer.     

Conversion of microwave pyrolysed ASR's char using high temperature agents

Pyrolysis enables to recover metals and organic feedstock from waste conglomerates such as: automotive shredder residue (ASR). ASR as well as its pyrolysis solid products, is a morphologically and chemically varied mixture, containing mineral materials, including hazardous heavy metals. The aim of the work is to generate fundamental knowledge on the conversion of the organic residues of the solid products after ASR's microwave pyrolysis, treated at various temperatures and with two different types of gasifying agent: pure steam or 3% (v/v) of oxygen. The research is conducted using a lab-scale, plug-flow gasifier, with an integrated scale for analysing mass loss changes over time of experiment, serving as macro TG at 950, 850 and 760 °C. The reaction rate of char decomposition was investigated, based on carbon conversion during gasification and pyrolysis stage. It was found in both fractions that char conversion rate decreases with the rise of external gas temperature, regardless of the gasifying agent. No significant differences between the reaction rates undergoing with steam and oxygen for char decomposition has been observed. This abnormal char behaviour might have been caused by the inhibiting effects of ash, especially alkali metals on char activity or due to deformation of char structure during microwave heating.     

Dry etching of AlN films using the plasma generated by fluoride

The plasma produced by the mixture of fluoride and argon (SF₆/Ar) was applied for the dry etching of AlN films. Very high etching rate up to 140 nm/min have been observed. The effects of the bias voltage and the plasma component on the etching results were investigated. It shows that AlN can be effectively etched by the plasma with the moderate SF₆ concentration and the etching rate varies linearly with the bias voltage. The FTIR spectra confirm that AlF₃ is formed due to the chemical reaction of Al and F atoms. The mechanism of AlN etching in F-based plasma is probably a combination between physical sputtering and chemical etching and can be briefly outlined: (i) F⁻ ions reacts with Al atoms to form low volatile product AlF₃ and passivate the surface, and (ii) at the same time the Ar⁺ ions sputter the reaction product from the surface and keep it fluoride free to initiate further reaction. AlF₃ formed on the patterned sidewall play a passivation role during the etching process. The etching process is highly anisotropic with quite smooth surface and vertical sidewalls.