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US 9,284,108 B2Granted
Plasma treated susceptor films
AssigneeGraphic Packaging International, Inc.
InventorsScott W. Middleton, Timothy H. Bohrer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of making a microwave energy interactive structure includes plasma treating the surface of a polymer film with an inert gas at a plasma treatment energy per unit surface area of the film of from about 0.005 J/cm2 to about 0.2 J/cm2 to reduce the apparent surface roughness of film the polymer film, and depositing a layer of microwave energy interactive material onto the plasma treated surface of the film.
Claims14
A method of making a microwave energy interactive structure, comprising:
- providing a polymer film, wherein the polymer film comprises polyethylene terephthalate;
- plasma treating the surface of the polymer film with a plasma treatment gas comprising at least one of nitrogen and argon, wherein plasma treating the surface of the polymer film comprises exposing the surface of the polymer film to the plasma treatment gas at a plasma energy per unit surface area of less than about 0.2 J/cm2;
- and
- thereafter depositing a layer of microwave energy interactive material onto the plasma treated surface of the polymer film in a chamber having a pressure of less than about 5×10−4 torr, wherein the layer of microwave energy interactive material is operative for converting at least a portion of impinging microwave energy into thermal energy.
1 more element
A method of making a microwave energy interactive structure, comprising:
- providing a polymer film, wherein the polymer film has a surface with an apparent surface roughness;
- plasma treating the surface of the polymer film with a plasma treatment gas at a plasma treatment energy per unit surface area of the polymer film of from about 0.005 J/cm2 to about 0.2 J/cm2, wherein plasma treating the surface of the polymer film reduces the apparent surface roughness of the surface of the polymer film;
- and
- depositing a layer of microwave energy interactive material onto the surface of the polymer film, wherein the layer of microwave energy interactive material is operative for converting at least a portion of impinging microwave energy into thermal energy.
1 more element
A method of making a microwave energy interactive structure, comprising:
- plasma treating a surface of a polymer film at a plasma energy per unit surface area of less than about 0.2 J/cm2 with an exposure time of less than about 3 ms, wherein the surface of the polymer film has a topography defined at least partially by surface structures;
- depositing a layer of microwave energy interactive material onto the plasma treated surface of the polymer film to form a susceptor film, wherein
- a total perimeter of surface structures within a square sample area divided by an edge length of the square sample area defines a PEL value of the susceptor film, and
- plasma treating the surface of the polymer film reduces the PEL value of the susceptor film;
- and
- joining the susceptor film to a dimensionally stable substrate to form the microwave energy interactive structure,
- wherein
- the layer of microwave energy interactive material is operative for converting microwave energy into thermal energy so that the susceptor film heats to a maximum temperature, and
- reducing the PEL value of the susceptor film by plasma treating the surface of the polymer film increases the maximum temperature of the susceptor film when exposed to microwave energy.
6 more elements
A method of making a microwave energy interactive structure, comprising:
- plasma treating a surface of a polymer film under vacuum using an inert gas at a plasma energy per unit surface area of less than about 0.2 J/cm2, wherein the surface of the polymer film has an apparent surface roughness defined at least partially by surface structures having various heights;
- and
- thereafter depositing a layer of microwave energy interactive material onto the plasma treated surface of the polymer film to form a susceptor film,
- wherein
- a total perimeter of surface structures within a square sample area divided by an edge length of the square sample area defines a PEL value of the susceptor film, and
- plasma treating the surface of the polymer film reduces the height of at least some of the surface structures at least about 20%, so that the PEL value of the susceptor film is reduced from a first PEL value to a second PEL value, and
- wherein
- the layer of microwave energy interactive material is operative for converting microwave energy into heat so that the susceptor film reaches a maximum temperature, and
- the maximum temperature of the susceptor film is greater for the susceptor film having the second PEL value than for a susceptor film having the first PEL value.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.