Atmospheric Pressure Non-Equlibrium Plasma
The ability to perform controlled surface engineering of polymers is of academic and commercial importance. To date, the approaches in use range from wet chemical, corona and flame to the more exotic vacuum plasma and ion beam methodologies. EA Technology Ltd. has developed a non-equilibrium plasma process that operates under atmospheric conditions without the need for vacuum equipment. This system, known as the atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma (APNEP), has all the advantages of conventional vacuum non-equilibrium plasmas with the additional feature that it operates at atmospheric pressure and offers processing options in controlled atmospheric environments.
Outlined below are some of the salient features of APNEP:
- Stable plasmas can be formed at atmospheric pressure with a wide variety of pure gases and gas mixtures, for example, N2, O2, H2, Ne, Ar and air.
- APNEP is a non-equilibrium plasma (glow discharge).
- APNEP can operate at flow rates from 0 to > 120 l min-1 (depending on the gas).
- Utilisation of activated downstream species enables uniform surface modification and deposition on polymeric films and metallic/ceramic substrates.
- APNEP is suitable for both continuous and batch processing.
- Potential for volume and area scaling and complex shape processing.
- APNEPs can be adapted from readily available components.
- APNEP is being developed in collaboration with EA Technology Ltd. The PRC's efforts are concentrated on APNEP induced post-plasma surface modification, transformation and APNEP enhanced chemical vapour deposition of polymers. We are also investigating vacuum and atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma comparisons.
Chemical surface modification (both oxidative and reductive), physical topological surface modification and the deposition of organic, organometallic and inorganic materials have all been demonstrated and investigated.
For further information, please contact Professor Gary Stevens