Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment and Following Aging Effect of Chromium Surfaces

Vadym Prysiazhnyi

Department of Physical Electronics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

DOI: 10.4236/jsemat.2013.32018                

Abstract

The results of atmospheric pressure plasma treatments using diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (type of surface dielectric barrier discharge) on chromium surfaces are reported. A significant increase of surface wettability was observed after short plasma exposition. A quantitative value of surface wettability, i.e. the surface free energy, changed from 29 mJ/m² to over 80 mJ/m². In time, a hydrophobic recovery of the plasma treated surfaces was observed. Careful study by surface free energy measurements and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to be able explaining the effects of plasma treatment. Studied samples were treated in air, oxygen and nitrogen plasma and aged in air and vacuum. Main reasons for increased wettability and aging effect are surface cleaning and transformations in chromium oxide. Additionally, generation of surface nitrate groups was found on the chromium surface as a result of plasma treatment in humid air.

Keywords

Chromium Surface; Plasma Treatment; DCSBD; Aging Effect; Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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