ABSTRACT
Abstract-Plasma web treatment is a common practice for promoting adhesion, wettability and other surface or interfacial properties in the conversion industry. While the objective of creating new surface functional groups is conceptually simple, it can be difficult to choose the most appropriate kind and configuration of plasma source, the most appropriate feed gas composition and the most appropriate operating pressure for a given application. Such difficulties arise from the variety of species that can be formed in the plasma and the variety of possible plasma-surface interactions that can occur. A brief review of the importance of various plasma parameters (e.g., specific energy, species concentrations, and energy distributions) and an example relating nitrogen uptake in poly(ethylene-2, 6-naphthalate) to plasma diagnostic data in a low-radiofrequency capacitivelycoupled nitrogen plasma are presented. The importance of driving frequency and treatment configuration is discussed in detail. Uptake kinetics for samples treated at floating potential at low radiofrequency is compared with that for samples treated in the cathode sheath. Analysis of the treatment kinetics is based on a simple model of surface saturation. This approach can be used not only to compare practical treatment results as a function of process conditions, but also to compare different treatment techniques in a practical manner.
