Modelling of Nonthermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure and Role of Produced Reactive Species in Surface Polymer Microbial Purification

Abstract

A nonthermal atmospheric plasma reactor was used to sterilize polymer surfaces and satisfy safety constraints in a biological medium. A 1D fluid model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software® 5.4 with a helium–oxygen mixture at low temperature for the decontamination of bacteria on polymer surfaces. The dynamic behavior of the discharge parameters including the gas gap voltage, the discharge current, the consumed power, and transport charges were studied to analyze the evolution of the homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). In addition, the electrical characteristics of a homogeneous DBD under different operating conditions were studied. It is shown that the increase of the applied voltage or of the driven frequency caused higher ionization levels and maximum increase of metastable species’ density and expanded the sterilization area. On the other hand, it was possible to operate plasma discharges at a low applied voltage and a high plasma density using dielectric barrier materials with higher values of the secondary emission coefficient or permittivity of the dielectric barriers. When the discharge gas pressure increased, the current discharges declined, which indicated a lower sterilization efficiency under high pressure. A short gap width and the admixture of oxygen were needed for sufficient bio-decontamination. Plasma-based pollutant degradation devices could therefore benefit from these results.

The Simulation of Dielectric Barrier Discharge for Breakdown Voltage in Starch Modification

“…According to Soloviev et al [49]'s study results, when data for dielectrics with various relative permittivity are compared, it becomes clear that the breakdown voltage significantly reduces as the permittivity of the material being used increases. Also, corresponding to findings by Elaissi et al [50], operating plasma discharges at a low applied voltage and a high plasma density were possible using materials with higher relative permittivity values. The simulation results and Figure 11 show that when the starch has a relative permi ivity of 3.1, 5.2, and 7.5, the breakdown voltage of the mesh electrode in the case of a small gap (pd = 152 torr cm) is lower than that of the parallel plate electrodes, by about 5.6%.…”

Recent progress of atmospheric and room‐temperature plasma as a new and promising mutagenesis technology

“…Plasma numerical simulations can provide information including the spatial and temporal distribution of free radicals and charged particles, their content, reaction rates of various collision processes, mass transfer kinetics, and energy. Commonly used simulation models are particle model, 69 fluid model, 70 and global models 71 . The most widely used of these is the fluid model, which reflects the internal properties of the plasma but is also limited by the volume of calculations and the stability of the algorithm.…”

Nonthermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Endosteal Implants for Osseointegration and Antimicrobial Efficacy: A Comprehensive Review

“…NTP is generated at atmospheric pressure and allows for a broad range of surface alterations without the need for high temperatures or vacuum conditions, making it a versatile tool with many biomedical applications. Importantly, the use of NTP has recently been explored as a method to enhance dental implant surfaces [3,5,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] (Figure 2). Historically, attempts to treat implant surfaces have involved the use of large thermal, radio frequency, and glow discharge plasma devices [34,35].…”

“…NTP can be generated through various systems, including dielectric barrier discharges, corona discharges, and plasma jets [3,31,33,40]. These systems can be customized with specific gas compositions, like argon mixed with oxygen, to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) [41].…”