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Polymers
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Plasma Processes for Polymers II
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Plasma Processes for Polymers II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 10460

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jian-Zhang Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate Institute of Applied Mechanics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Interests: plasma processing; atmospheric pressure plasma; dielectric barrier discharge; flexible electronics; solar cells; supercapacitors; metal oxides; wide-bandgap materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plasma technology is a versatile tool that has been applied in many materials surface modification and deposition processes. Non-thermal low-pressure plasma has been extensively used in industries. The recent development of atmospheric-pressure plasma opens up more plasma applications in a regular pressure environment and in roll-to-roll processes. The abundant ions and electrons of plasmas are highly reactive with many materials. These reactive plasma species in conjunction with a heat and ion bombardment create many material processing possibilities, enabling an ultrafast material processing capability, as well as rapid surface activation and cleaning. Plasma has been applied in many polymer processes, such as plasma polymerization, plasma polymer grafting, plasma etching on polymers, plasma surface modification and treatment of polymers, plasma surface cleaning prior to polymer deposition or glue bonding, and interfacial engineering of organic–organic and organic–inorganic interfaces.

This Special Issue is concerned with all plasma processes related to polymers—for example, plasma polymerization, plasma surface treatment and modification of polymers, plasma treatment prior to polymer or organic coating, plasma processing for polymer-based composites, plasma etching of polymers, plasma polymer grafting, plasma syntheses of organic–inorganic hybrid materials, and interfacial engineering of polymers. Papers related to the material characterization of plasma-processed polymers and new applications of plasma technology in polymer processing are invited.

Prof. Dr. Jian-Zhang Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • • low-pressure plasma
  • non-thermal plasma
  • atmospheric-pressure plasma
  • dielectric barrier discharge
  • corona discharge
  • etching
  • surface treatment
  • surface modification
  • plasma polymerization
  • conductive polymer
  • polymer
  • composites
  • organic–inorganic hybrid materials
  • surface coating
  • paint
  • adhesion
  • bonding

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 9360 KiB  
Article
Improving Printability of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with the Help of Plasma Pre-Treatment
by Marius Andrei Olariu, Rakel Herrero, Dragoș George Astanei, Lisandro Jofré, Javier Morentin, Tudor Alexandru Filip and Radu Burlica
Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3348; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15163348 - 09 Aug 2023
Viewed by 875
Abstract
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a potential candidate for the fabrication of flexible electronics devices and electronics with applications in various extreme environments, mainly due to its outstanding chemical and physical properties. However, to date, the utilization of PTFE in printing trials has been limited [...] Read more.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a potential candidate for the fabrication of flexible electronics devices and electronics with applications in various extreme environments, mainly due to its outstanding chemical and physical properties. However, to date, the utilization of PTFE in printing trials has been limited due to the material’s low surface tension and wettability, which do not ensure good adhesion of the printing ink at the level of the substrate. Within this paper, successful printing of PTFE is realized after pre-treating the surface of the substrate with the help of dielectric barrier discharge non-thermal plasma. The efficiency of the pre-treatment is demonstrated with respect to both silver- and carbon-based inks that are commercially available, and finally, the long-lasting pre-treatment effect is demonstrated for periods of time spanning from minutes to days. The experimental results are practically paving the way toward large-scale utilization of PTFE as substrate in fabricating printed electronics in harsh working environments. After 3 s of plasma treatment of the foil, the WCA decreased from approximately 103° to approximately 70°. The resolution of the printed lines of carbon ink was not time dependent and was unmodified, even if the printing was realized within 1 min from the time of applying the pre-treatment or 10 days later. The evaluation of the surface tension (σ) measured with Arcotest Ink Pink showed an increase in σ up to 40 < σ < 42 mN/m for treated Teflon foil and from σ < 30 mN/m corresponding to the untreated substrate. The difference in resolution was distinguishable when increasing the width of the printed lines from 500 μm to 750 μm, but when increasing the width from 750 μm to 1000 μm, the difference was minimal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Processes for Polymers II)
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19 pages, 4707 KiB  
Article
Modelling of Nonthermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure and Role of Produced Reactive Species in Surface Polymer Microbial Purification
by Samira Elaissi and Norah A. M. Alsaif
Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1235; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15051235 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1824
Abstract
A nonthermal atmospheric plasma reactor was used to sterilize polymer surfaces and satisfy safety constraints in a biological medium. A 1D fluid model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software® 5.4 with a helium–oxygen mixture at low temperature for the decontamination of bacteria [...] Read more.
A nonthermal atmospheric plasma reactor was used to sterilize polymer surfaces and satisfy safety constraints in a biological medium. A 1D fluid model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software® 5.4 with a helium–oxygen mixture at low temperature for the decontamination of bacteria on polymer surfaces. An analysis of the evolution of the homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) was carried out through studying the dynamic behavior of the discharge parameters including the discharge current, the consumed power, the gas gap voltage, and transport charges. In addition, the electrical characteristics of a homogeneous DBD under different operating conditions were studied. The results shown that increasing voltage or frequency caused higher ionization levels and maximum increase of metastable species’ density and expanded the sterilization area. On the other hand, it was possible to operate plasma discharges at a low voltage and a high density of plasma using higher values of the secondary emission coefficient or permittivity of the dielectric barrier materials. When the discharge gas pressure increased, the current discharges declined, which indicated a lower sterilization efficiency under high pressure. A short gap width and the admixture of oxygen were needed for sufficient bio-decontamination. Plasma-based pollutant degradation devices could therefore benefit from these results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Processes for Polymers II)
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12 pages, 22870 KiB  
Article
Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Jet (DBDjet) Processed Reduced Graphene Oxide/Polypyrrole/Chitosan Nanocomposite Supercapacitors
by Chen Liu, Cheng-Wei Hung, I-Chung Cheng, Cheng-Che Hsu, I-Chun Cheng and Jian-Zhang Chen
Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3585; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13203585 - 18 Oct 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2654
Abstract
Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and/or polypyrrole (PPy) are mixed with chitosan (CS) binder materials for screen-printing supercapacitors (SCs) on arc atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ)-treated carbon cloth. The performance of gel-electrolyte rGO/CS, PPy/CS, and rGO/PPy/CS SCs processed by a dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet [...] Read more.
Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and/or polypyrrole (PPy) are mixed with chitosan (CS) binder materials for screen-printing supercapacitors (SCs) on arc atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ)-treated carbon cloth. The performance of gel-electrolyte rGO/CS, PPy/CS, and rGO/PPy/CS SCs processed by a dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet (DBDjet) was assessed and compared. DBDjet processing improved the hydrophilicity of these three nanocomposite electrode materials. Electrochemical measurements including electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charging-discharging (GCD) were used to evaluate the performance of the three types of SCs. The Trasatti method was used to evaluate the electric-double layer capacitance (EDLC) and pseudocapacitance (PC) of the capacitance. The energy and power density of the three types of SCs were illustrated and compared using Ragone plots. Our experiments verify that, with the same weight of active materials, the combined use of rGO and PPy in SCs can significantly increase the capacitance and improve the operation stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Processes for Polymers II)
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Review

Jump to: Research

54 pages, 11130 KiB  
Review
From Basics to Frontiers: A Comprehensive Review of Plasma-Modified and Plasma-Synthesized Polymer Films
by Thierry Dufour
Polymers 2023, 15(17), 3607; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15173607 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2412
Abstract
This comprehensive review begins by tracing the historical development and progress of cold plasma technology as an innovative approach to polymer engineering. The study emphasizes the versatility of cold plasma derived from a variety of sources including low-pressure glow discharges (e.g., radiofrequency capacitively [...] Read more.
This comprehensive review begins by tracing the historical development and progress of cold plasma technology as an innovative approach to polymer engineering. The study emphasizes the versatility of cold plasma derived from a variety of sources including low-pressure glow discharges (e.g., radiofrequency capacitively coupled plasmas) and atmospheric pressure plasmas (e.g., dielectric barrier devices, piezoelectric plasmas). It critically examines key operational parameters such as reduced electric field, pressure, discharge type, gas type and flow rate, substrate temperature, gap, and how these variables affect the properties of the synthesized or modified polymers. This review also discusses the application of cold plasma in polymer surface modification, underscoring how changes in surface properties (e.g., wettability, adhesion, biocompatibility) can be achieved by controlling various surface processes (etching, roughening, crosslinking, functionalization, crystallinity). A detailed examination of Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) reveals its efficacy in producing thin polymeric films from an array of precursors. Yasuda’s models, Rapid Step-Growth Polymerization (RSGP) and Competitive Ablation Polymerization (CAP), are explained as fundamental mechanisms underpinning plasma-assisted deposition and polymerization processes. Then, the wide array of applications of cold plasma technology is explored, from the biomedical field, where it is used in creating smart drug delivery systems and biodegradable polymer implants, to its role in enhancing the performance of membrane-based filtration systems crucial for water purification, gas separation, and energy production. It investigates the potential for improving the properties of bioplastics and the exciting prospects for developing self-healing materials using this technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Processes for Polymers II)
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19 pages, 3307 KiB  
Review
Non-Equilibrium Plasma Methods for Tailoring Surface Properties of Polyvinylidene Fluoride: Review and Challenges
by Alenka Vesel, Rok Zaplotnik, Gregor Primc, Miran Mozetič, Tadeja Katan, Rupert Kargl, Tamilselvan Mohan and Karin Stana Kleinschek
Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234243 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
Modification and functionalization of polymer surface properties is desired in numerous applications, and a standard technique is a treatment with non-equilibrium gaseous plasma. Fluorinated polymers exhibit specific properties and are regarded as difficult to functionalize with polar functional groups. Plasma methods for functionalization [...] Read more.
Modification and functionalization of polymer surface properties is desired in numerous applications, and a standard technique is a treatment with non-equilibrium gaseous plasma. Fluorinated polymers exhibit specific properties and are regarded as difficult to functionalize with polar functional groups. Plasma methods for functionalization of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are reviewed and different mechanisms involved in the surface modification are presented and explained by the interaction of various reactive species and far ultraviolet radiation. Most authors used argon plasma but reported various results. The discrepancy between the reported results is explained by peculiarities of the experimental systems and illustrated by three mechanisms. More versatile reaction mechanisms were reported by authors who used oxygen plasma for surface modification of PVDF, while plasma sustained in other gases was rarely used. The results reported by various authors are analyzed, and correlations are drawn where feasible. The processing parameters reported by different authors were the gas pressure and purity, the discharge configuration and power, while the surface finish was predominantly determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and static water contact angle (WCA). A reasonably good correlation was found between the surface wettability as probed by WCA and the oxygen concentration as probed by XPS, but there is hardly any correlation between the discharge parameters and the wettability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Processes for Polymers II)
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