Process for surface treatment of vulcanized rubber and process for production of rubber-based composite material

A process for surface treatment of vulcanized rubber, said process comprising:

• generating a nonequilibrium low-temperature plasma by glow discharge under atmospheric pressure between a cathode and an insulating dielectric which is interposed between the cathode and an anode while introducing a gas for generating plasma to a plasma-generating region between the cathode and the insulating dielectric,
• placing the vulcanized rubber in air and outside the plasma-generating region so that a surface of the vulcanized rubber faces the plasma-generating region, and
• directing the gas from the plasma-generating region toward the surface of the vulcanized rubber so that the gas impinges against the rubber surface for effecting surface treatment, while keeping the vulcanized rubber in the air atmosphere.