DBD Plasma in Air Reactor for Polymeric Surfaces Treatment

Plasma treatment applied on polymeric surfaces leads to changes of surface properties without altering the internal properties. In this paper three polymeric foils were used for testing the surface properties induced by plasma treatment. There are problems with ink adhesion on these materials at the time of printing due to their properties. The aim is to study the effect of DBD plasma on different polymeric surfaces, in order to enhance the printing capabilities on these surfaces. The tests were performed at atmospheric pressure, with air as discharge environment using a DBD reactor with streamers at 10 kHz frequency. The DBD plasma treatment effect on three polymeric surfaces is assessed based on contact angle and surface tension measurements, as well as discharge average power measurements. Plasma treatment effect is indicated by decreased values of contact angles, resulting an enhanced adhesion through increased hydrophilic proprieties.

I. Introduction

Plasma treatment was widely used for different materials surface treatment to modify the wetting behavior of polymer films in the production process [1]. The capability of changing surface properties of this technique was proved on various materials, such as metals [2], polymers [3], or wood [4].