The Adhesion problem is common in materials that possess low surface energies. Examples can include High-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, EPDM, and Polyethylene etc. With the surface energy ranging anywhere from twenty nine to thirty six Dyne/cm or mN/m (milinewton per meter). Surface treatment of plastic products
Recycling and reuse of plastic bottles are very important for the future of the environment
Obtaining a level of adhesion on any materials with low surface energy i.e. Polypropylene or Polyethylene etc. can sometimes become extremely difficult because of their slickness. Thus, this adhesion problem leads to the printed ink rubbing off, coatings or paint not sticking on the surface along with failed gluing and weak sealing.
Sometimes it is important to treat various different plastic surfaces. Therefore you should always look for the best solution.
In our opinion, there is a need to look for something that:
The application of plasma treatment is not limited to the laboratories anymore. It has proven to be a basic tool needed for production since its invention. In the past, plasma treatment was used to fabricate microelectronic devices at first and then later opted by the medical, plastics, automotive and textile industries, etc. for various purposes i.e. surface activation, cleaning, etching, coating etc.
Below you see a video of the PlasmaTec-X device. A universal plasma device, that has many different applications, and that can be used in many industries:
In today’s world, plasmas are consistently used for treating plastic surfaces, cleaning syringe needles made out of stainless steel, and treating plastic lenses, performance textiles, balloon catheters for angioplasty, filter media, and golf balls with a diversified range of other products. Plasma treatment is so common that you would have trouble locating a product that’s not been through this process before finishing.
Plasma treatment is also used in:
Consumer electronics
Industrial electronics
Medical and biomedical industries
Fabrics and textiles
Hydrophilic coatings
Filtration
Automotive and aerospace industries
Creating an energy source
Repellant coatings (liquid) and many more fields.
Plasma Cleaning
Plasma cleaning is a method whereby a high energy stream is directed towards the surface that needs to be cleaned. The stream oxidizes any organic depositions present on the surface through oxygen plasma. Applying an inert gas plasma or argon plasma can also mechanically scrub away the deposits. Depending on the cleaning requirements, a diversified range of gases or a mixture of gases can be used to serve the purpose.
Activated plasma ions and atoms act like a sandblast that’s molecular in nature, breaking down the wall of organic contaminants present on a surface. During processing, these contaminants are vaporized yet again leading to evacuation from the enclosure. The intensity of a plasma treatment may depend on the flow rates of gas, vacuum degree, reactor geometry, pump speed, and diluents and reactants, etc.
Plasma cleaning can be used for:
Removing surface oxidation
Preparing surfaces of elastomers and plastics
Cleaning ceramics
Cleaning metal surfaces on a hyperfine level
Surface preparation of glass products e.g. ophthalmic items
Do you know how plasma treatment or corona surface treatment works? If not, you should attend our technology seminar this June in Nürnberg, Germany.
At the seminar, there will be theoretical talks but also a demonstration of the results of plasma and corona treatments.
Plasma and corona treatment improves adhesion and wettability on plastic and metal surfaces. To bond plastic materials to other materials, or to print on a plastic surface, you need to change or raise the surface energy to make it possible for the adhesives to attach.
The theory behind plasma and corona, contains a change of the surface structure of materials, generated by a high voltage electrical discharge. We will also show the difference between plasma and corona and we can explain when plasma is most efficient to use and when to choose corona instead. To show you the result of a plasma and corona surface treatment, we are bringing our equipment to demonstrate the effect on different surfaces.
A few years into the past, printing and labeling on medical equipment that was made of plastic or metal was a feat to be accomplished. The equipment was usually treated to a controlled flame at certain fixed temperatures in order to change the chemical make-up of its surface molecules. This process made the product’s surface adhesive so that printing ink could be used on it to label it.
However, in today’s time, technological advancements have resulted in a number of treatments that can create adhesive properties on surfaces of plastic and metal. This makes the process a lot of more simpler, cheaper and time saving. The risk of overheating products and releasing dangerous toxics is also heavily reduced. Today, corona treament can be used to treat the surface of medical devices.
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