Plasma is a state of matter similar to the gases we are familiar with, but its composition is filled with charged particles (positive or negative); hence it is called plasma. Plasma has unique physical and chemical properties, different from solid, liquid, and gas. Scientists have observed that plasma is very common in outer space, such as the sun, which is a huge ball of plasma. Due to its uniqueness, plasma is classified by scientists as the fourth state of matter.
How is plasma generated?
Simply put, it is by providing enough energy to a gas so that its molecules or atoms gain energy and transition to a plasma state. A common method is to heat the gas, causing the molecules or atoms to move rapidly and collide with each other, thereby releasing electrons and producing charges. Another method is to use an external electric field, causing the gas molecules or atoms to oscillate rapidly in the electric field, generating plasma.
Currently, humans mainly generate plasma through electric fields. Under the influence of a strong electric field, gas molecules or atoms dissociate into positive and negative ions and electrons, forming a plasma state. These charged particles can facilitate chemical reactions.
Efficient plasma module
AP Plasma Corporation has designed an efficient plasma module that operates at atmospheric pressure and uses air as the main gas. This technology requires only 1KW of power, spraying compressed air onto the surface of polymer shoe materials to perform nanoscale surface treatment.
This changes the physical and chemical properties of the materials, such as surface energy, interfacial activity, polarity, osmotic pressure, and bond strength. This method is different from traditional wet buffing. In the actual application in shoe manufacturing, it can eliminate traditional processes like manual mechanical surface buffing and the application of chemical treatments, achieving strong bonding effects. It can also switch to water-based adhesives instead of solvent-based adhesives, applicable to various composite materials, including rubber and polymer materials.
Traditional buffing methods vs electrons in the plasma bombard atoms
Traditional buffing methods aim to increase the contact area between the material surface and the adhesive. In contrast, the electrons in the plasma bombard atoms like nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen in the air, creating nanoscale micro-bombardment effects on the material surface, increasing the contact area millions of times more than manual and mechanical buffing.
When plasma interacts with the surface of polymer materials, the surface is instantly bombarded by high-energy ion beams, causing polarization and temporarily creating nanoscale chemical bond changes, even breaking functional groups and generating a charged state. This free electron transfer state can promote the recombination and replacement reactions of molecular bonds on the surfaces of two different materials, forming more covalent bonds with common functional groups and the strongest bond strength.
Plasma spraying on the surfaces of different materials helps them and the adhesive form a composite with similar functional groups, resulting in bonding strength equivalent to that of the same material. If forcibly separated, “material breakage” occurs. Notably, plasma uses air as the raw material, rich in nitrogen and oxygen molecules. After spraying, it easily forms nitrogen-containing functional groups similar to those in rubber, solving the problem of poor adhesion of commonly used rubber soles. This explains why the bonding strength generated by plasma technology surpasses that of traditional adhesives.