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Enhanced Wettability and Adhesion of Polymer Film Surfaces by Electric Discharges in Silane Gas Mixtures under Atmospheric Pressure

Objective



Objectives and content
Polyolefin based polymer films, especially polypropylene films have excellent mechanical, optical and barrier properties, well suited for many industrial applications like food packaging, electrical insulation, functional coatings, etc. However they require a surface treatment to increase their surface tension at a level allowing printing, laminating or metallizing... Currently, there is no satisfactory process to achieve this goal: typical corona discharge treatment in air provides partial results, not sufficient to reach high, consistent and permanent value of surface tension. As a result water based inks cannot or only rarely be used for printing, (oil based inks encounter pollution problems), for many applications chlorine containing films are still in use industrially and the most sophisticated polypropylene films are not printable at all, in spite of their excellent properties.
Two members of the consortium have demonstrated the feasibility to produce and to maintain for months, polypropylene surface tension up to 60 dyn/cm by using corona discharge treatment under specially designed active atmosphere (patented process); (vs 42-44 dyn/cm ordinarily reached with air corona discharge treatment, falling down to 3840 dyn/cm in few days). This level of surface tension is completely satisfactory for water based inks printing or functional coatings. The purpose of the research project is to reached a level of knowledge allowing industrial applications by combining, on an international level, the skills between a gas manufacturer (atmosphere control), a corona discharge devices manufacturer (electrode design, integration into industrial processes), polymer film industrial transformers (application on industrial quality films) and three well chosen university laboratories for their experience into corona discharge, pulse current generators and polymer surface analysis.
With the results already obtained concerning the feasibility of the process, its strategical interest and the combination of competences and industrial motivations joined together, we are quite confident in the industrial success.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

L'AIR LIQUIDE SA
EU contribution
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Address
Chemin de la Porte des Loges 1, Les Loges en Josa
78354 JOUY-EN-JOSAS
France

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Participants (5)