Product category:
Cleaning media and cleaning systems
News Release from: Tantec | Subject: Plasma metal surface cleaning
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 12 March 2007
Plasma surface cleaning is
environment-friendly
Using atmospheric plasma is claimed to be one of the most effective and environmental friendly methods of metal surface cleaning and requires no chemicals or solvents.
In order to achieve proper adhesion of coatings and glues on metal surfaces, surface cleaning is a necessity Atmospheric plasma is one of the most effective and environmental friendly methods of metal surface cleaning
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Tantec's atmospheric Plasma system, DC-PlasmaTEC, is a new fast and reliable surface treatment process, and one of the best available non-chemical surface cleaning techniques for metals, and the fact that no chemicals or solvents are involved, makes it a very environmental-friendly cleaning method with no bi-products or any hazardous waste products to dispose of.
Normally, electrical Plasma-treaters work only in a low-pressure environment, i e, in a vacuum chamber, however, the new DC- PlasmaTEC-discharge is a potential-free gas produced at atmospheric pressure.
What is plasma? When air or gas is subjected to an electric DC-field, some of its atoms become ions, and the air is said to be ionized.
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Very strong ionized air is transformed to be a gas in its normal condition and can conduct electrical current to a limited extent.
If the electric field becomes extreme, like in a DC-PlasmaTEC nozzle, many of the atoms become ions.
The resulting super-ionized gas is a Plasma, which can conduct a large and sustained electric current.
Plasma is more than just a gas; Plasma is the fourth state- of-matter, developed through the other three state-of-matter, solid, liquid and gas.
About 99% of the visible universe is formed of plasma.
When the plasma-discharge is exposed to a contaminated metal surface, the cleaning effect is extremely efficient, and in some cases proven better than chemical etching.
Plasma-treatment does not alter the surfaces being cleaned; no colour fading, no abrasion or pitting of the surface takes place.
The process is a combination of kinetic energy, high electrical energy, airflow and micro-thermal shock lifting off the contamination on the surface.
The applications of a DC-PlasmaTEC system is not limited to metals, but can also be utilized on plastic, rubber and composite materials.
For those materials the plasma treatment serves another purpose, to promote better adhesion properties of plastic or rubber through surface modification and activation, i e, the same as achieved with other renowned pre-treatment methods like corona or vacuum- plasma technologies.
Industrial applications for the DC-PlasmaTEC system is ultra-cleaning of metal head gaskets for automotives, cleaning of stainless steel spacer bars for insulating glass, cleaning of sealing joints on cast- metals prior to dispensing reactive resins.
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