Physical Mechanisms of Interaction of Cold Plasma with Polymer Surfaces

TL;DR

This paper explores how cold plasma interacts with polymer surfaces, focusing on ion trapping, surface charging, and wettability changes, supported by experimental data and a kinetic model.

Contribution

It introduces a phenomenological kinetic model for plasma-induced electrical charging of polymers and links interaction time scales to ion concentration.

Findings

Ion trapping leads to surface charging and wettability changes.

Interaction time scales are inversely proportional to ion concentration.

A kinetic model explains the electrical charging process.

Abstract

Physical mechanisms of the interaction of cold plasmas with organic surfaces are discussed. Trapping of plasma ions by the CH2 groups of polymer surfaces resulting in their electrical charging is treated. Polyethylene surfaces were exposed to the cold radiofrequency air plasma for different intervals of time. The change in the wettability of these surfaces was registered. The experimentally established characteristic time scales of the interaction of cold plasma with polymer surfaces are inversely proportional to the concentration of ions. The phenomenological kinetic model of the electrical charging of polymer surfaces by plasmas is introduced and analyzed.