Method and apparatus for glow discharge plasma treatment of polymer materials at atmospheric pressure
AssigneeThe University of Tennessee Research Corporation
InventorsJohn R. Roth, Peter P. Tsai, Larry C. Wadsworth, Chaoya Liu, Paul D. Spence
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Abstract
Polymer materials such as film and fabrics, woven, non-woven and meltblown, may be non-destructively surface treated to improve water wettability, wickability, and other characteristics by exposure to a glow discharge plasma sustained at substantially atmospheric pressure in air or modified gas atmospheres comprising helium or argon.
Claims12
A method for improving the surface characteristics of a web comprising the steps of generating in a gas maintained at about atmospheric pressure a sustained, uniform glow discharge plasma having active species between a pair of spaced electrodes, wherein said generating step includes energizing said electrodes at a voltage of at least about 1 kV rms at frequencies of about 1 to 100 kHz, and positioning said web between said electrodes and within said plasma for a period of time and pressure differentially driving the active species through said web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.