Atmospheric plasma as green solution for enhanced adhesion and functionalization (PlasmaSol).

The general purpose of the project is to use non-thermal atmospheric plasma technology as an eco-friendly surface modification method to replace the currently used non-ecofriendly processes and/or to achieve surface properties which are not within reach with other conventional processes. Within the PlasmaSol project, this technology will be researched to (i) assure a good adhesion between various substrates and foils or coatings, (ii) provide wood plastic composites and textiles with an antimicrobial functionality, and (iii) increase the flame retardant properties of textiles. By obtaining fundamental knowledge on the plasma chemistry and physics, thanks to a comprehensive toolset of advanced characterization techniques, a valuable dataset of suitable precursors compatible with the treated substrates will be obtained, finding applications in fields that might even fall outside of the scope of this project. To get more fundamental insight of the plasma process, the experimental work will be complemented by theoretical modeling of both the plasma reactor and nozzle design, by means of fluid dynamics modeling of the gas flow and the plasma process. The simulations will be performed for the extreme range of conditions of the equipment in order to determine an operational window of the plasma deposition process. To summarize, this fundamental work will assist and simplify the optimization and future implementation (i.e. industrialization) of the plasma deposition process.

Keywords:PLASMA SIMULATION, PLASMA CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS PROCESSING, PLASMA REACTOR

Disciplines:Materials processing, Surface engineering

Project type:Collaboration project