Plasma treatment of polyethylene powder particles in a hollow cathode glow discharge

Abstract

A hollow cathode glow discharge mounted in a spiral conveyor has been employed for surface modification of polyethylene (PE) powders. This combination of powder agitation and plasma treatment allows for a homogeneous surface modification for powders as well for foils. In this study, first the results of plasma treatment of PE powders are represented using different process gases (Ar, N2, CO2) and different hollow cathode materials like copper and aluminum. The modified PE is analyzed by water contact angle (WCA) measurement to prove changes in wettability and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to prove changes in surface composition and to detect formed polar functional groups. Furthermore, the aging of the plasma treated PE material has been investigated. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinhelm.