Plasma is a state of matter characterized by high electrical conductivity and ionized particles. It occurs when energy is added to gases to remove electrons from atoms. This leads to a state in which the atoms become a mixture of positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons.
Plasma is often found in hot, high-energy environments such as the Sun and other stars. But it also occurs on Earth in various technical applications. For example, plasmas are used in material processing to cut or weld materials such as metals.
In adhesive technology, plasma is used to activate an adhesive surface (component surface).
For plastics with a non-polar surface, plasma pretreatment helps to activate the surface. The same applies to glass and ceramics.
Traditionally, this surface treatment is done using chemical primers or liquid adhesion promoters. They are highly corrosive and harmful to the environment. On the one hand, they must be allowed to flash off sufficiently before further processing and, on the other hand, they are often not active for long. The plasma, on the other hand, is harmless to health.
When activated with plasma, even “non-glueable” plastics such as POM, PE and PP can be easily glued or painted.
The main advantages of plasma activation are:
- finest cleaning, no residue
- gentle, non-destructive surface treatment
- no wet chemicals
- Compressed air or cheap, non-toxic working gas
- environmentally friendly
- no expensive vacuum systems
- high processing speeds
- easy integration into existing production lines.
