AVS 49th International Symposium
    Plasma Science Tuesday Sessions
       Session PS-TuM

Paper PS-TuM4
Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Polypropylene@footnote 1@

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 9:20 am, Room C-103

Session: Atmospheric Pressure and Other Emerging Plasma Applications
Presenter: R. Dorai, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Authors: R. Dorai, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.J. Kushner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Atmospheric pressure plasmas, corona and dielectric discharges in particular, are used to modify polymer films to improve their wetting and adhesion properties. Production of O and OH radicals in humid air discharges produce surface oxidation of the polymer and result in the formation of Low-Molecular Weight Oxidized Material (LMWOM). Although a widely used industrial process, the fundamental plasma surface interactions which produce LMWOM and modify surface properties are not well understood. In this paper, results from a computational investigation of corona treatment of polypropylene will be discussed with the goal of determining the reaction mechanism which produce LMWOM. The investigation was performed using a global plasma chemistry model linked with a surface site balance model for the plasma-surface interactions. The surface reaction mechanism distinguishes between processes which produce hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. Comparisons can then be made with experimental data for corona treated polypropylene based on wettability (contact angle), densities of different surface groups and erosion rates. With the validated reaction mechanism, parameterizations of the important variables affecting the adhesion properties namely, energy deposition and relative humidity will be performed. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@Work supported by 3M, Inc. and the National Science Foundation.