Polymer Powder Treatment in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Circulating Fluidized Bed Reactor

The surface activation of high-density polyethylene powder using a remote plasma process at atmospheric pressure is investigated. The developed circulating fluidized bed plasma reactor enables to carry fine-grained powder particles repetitively through the afterglow of 64 dielectric barrier discharges of argon with O-2 and CO2 admixtures. The evolution of particle size distribution during conveying in the reactor is monitored by laser diffraction and reveals that only a small particle fraction is lost during the process. The contact angle of activated powder samples steadily decreases with increasing treatment time. The surface activation is most effective for O-2 admixtures of 0.25 vol% and CO2 admixtures of above approximately 1 vol%, respectively.