Our plasma systems are very well suited for the surface treatment of polymers (plastics). The aim of the treatment is plasma activation and plasma cleaning in order to prepare polymers for subsequent processes such as printing, painting or gluing.
Polymers such as polypropylene or polyethylene often have a low surface energy. This leads to adhesion problems during printing, so that the printed ink can easily be rubbed off or that the ink does not adhere to the surface at all. To counteract this, polymers are treated with plasma. As far as temperature-sensitive materials are concerned, they can be treated with cold atmospheric pressure plasma, as no temperature entry affects the material. Surface treatment of polymers is so very important for better adhesion of inks.
Plastics are usually characterized by inert surfaces with surface energies between 20 and 40 mN/m. In order to wet a surface, however, the surface energy of the polymer must exceed the one of the paint or the adhesive. This condition can be achieved through a plasma treatment of the surface and is called "activation“ in plasma technology.
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