Uniform Area Treatment for Surface Modification by Simple Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment Technique

Abstract

The atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) has a merit to treat curved or 3D surface without using a ground electrode but nonetheless limits applications for expanding treatment area due to the localized ionization energy induced by the propagation along the direction of guided ionization waves. This paper proposes a uniform area treatment for surface modification based on the experimental case studies relative to variations of the APPJ structures, such as the number of array jets and guide-tube, including bluff-body (GB) system plus gas compositions. In these case studies, the current, infrared (IR), and optical emission spectrum (OES) are analyzed to investigate the factors affecting intensive glow-like plasma generation for uniform area treatment. Plasma-treated polyethylene terephtalate (PET) films are additionally examined to check the possibility of uniform area treatment for surface modification by using atomic force microscope (AFM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle (WCA). Only in case of three-array jets with GB system using Ar with O 2 gas, the intense glow-like plasma is observed to be produced widely in discharge space, thereby enabling the entire surface of PET films to be treated uniformly. In particular, the proposed APPJs are observed to generate more abundantly the reactive nitrogen species (RNS) ranging from 330 and 380 nm and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 777.4 and 844.6 nm. Furthermore, the plasma-treated PET film shows that the abundant RNS and ROS play a significant role in smoothening and changing its surface into hydrophilic surface. As a result, it is confirmed that the intense glow-like plasma generated broadly by the proposed APPJs can uniformly treat the entire surface of PET films. INDEX TERMS Atmospheric-pressure plasmas, glow-like discharge, plasma diagnostics, polymer PET film, surface treatment. I. INTRODUCTION Recently, atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) device has attracted attention as advantages of non-thermal (low temperature), dry process, and replacing of conventional expensive low-pressure plasma. It has been applied to various fields, such as a surface modification [1], [2], polymer synthesis The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Bora Onat.

Potential Application of Pin-to-Liquid Dielectric Barrier Discharge Structure in Decomposing Aqueous Phosphorus Compounds for Monitoring Water Quality

“…Samples (3)(4)(5)(6)(7) in Figure 6a show different blue regions with varying brightness of the plasma-treated BGP solutions after the addition of the colorimetric reagent for detecting and quantifying the phosphate levels in the samples treated by air plasma. The difference in the blue regions was induced by molybdic acid during the ascorbicacid reduction process for detecting phosphate in water.…”

“…Atmospheric pressure (AP) plasmas are ionized gaseous collections containing multiple charged particles, excited species, and radicals that are highly chemically reactive but have a very short lifespan [1][2][3][4][5]. These plasmas exhibit non-thermal discharge behaviors due to partial ionization [6][7][8].…”

Effects of O2 Addition on the Discharge Parameters and Production of Reactive Species of a Transferred Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

“…Special attention has been given to medical and biological applications of APPJs, whose beneficial effects have been attributed to the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) produced by the plasma jets [6][7][8]. The actions of the RONS are not only limited to biological materials, since they also contribute to the hydrophilization and surface activation processes of many materials treated with plasma [9,10].…”

Synthesis and Properties of Thiophene and Aniline Copolymer Using Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jets Copolymerization Technique

“…Thanks to the GB system, rich radicals and ions which increase reactivity are maintained without quenching of ambient air. This intense glow-like plasma generated by APPJs can provide a sufficient fragmentation of monomers and generate efficiently new copolymeric products in which fragments of various monomers are covalently interlinked [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Unlike the restriction to the plasma plume of the process area in case of other plasma jet techniques, the APPJs with GB system can produce the intensified uniform plasma in the wide process space during copolymerization process [ 19 , 22 ].…”

“…This intense glow-like plasma generated by APPJs can provide a sufficient fragmentation of monomers and generate efficiently new copolymeric products in which fragments of various monomers are covalently interlinked [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Unlike the restriction to the plasma plume of the process area in case of other plasma jet techniques, the APPJs with GB system can produce the intensified uniform plasma in the wide process space during copolymerization process [ 19 , 22 ]. Furthermore, the APPJs technique has some unique properties such as one-step process, cost-effective, dry process, low-temperature process, and green synthesis [ 17 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”