Material Surfaces – Modifications

Plasma and Ion Beam Systems

Polymer surfaces can be modified by plasma and ion beams for etching, cleaning, activation, cross-linking and hardening. For example, plasma and ion beam systems can be applied to improve wetting properties, to enhance the adhesion, to increase hardness, to reduce friction, and to attach required molecules and coatings. Plasma and ion beams can dramatically change the polymer structure of very thin surface layers, while keeping the bulk material virgin.

Ewingar Scientific can develop a plasma process for your needs, and specifically design a plasma and ion beam system for your product.

Plasma machine up to 50 keV energy of ion beam.

How it works

Drops of water on untreated and ion beam treated surface. LDPE  is Low Density Polyethylene. ePTFE is Teflon.

The figure below demonstrates the adhesion strength of polyethylene and Teflon films to epoxy adhesive. The strength increases 100 times after ion beam treatment. The strength of the adhesion join is made equal to the strength of the bulk material. The strength of the adhesion join cannot be higher than the strength of glued material itself. This is the “ideal” adhesion join, which is made possible with ion beam treatment. 

Adhesion strength of LDPE (triangle) and PTFE (cubic) with the same epoxy adhesive (top line is adhesive joint strength without polymer sheet).

Material Surface Spectra Analysis – see under Material Analysis