US20020109470A1 - Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system - Google Patents
Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system Download PDFInfo
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- US20020109470A1 US20020109470A1 US09/783,628 US78362801A US2002109470A1 US 20020109470 A1 US20020109470 A1 US 20020109470A1 US 78362801 A US78362801 A US 78362801A US 2002109470 A1 US2002109470 A1 US 2002109470A1
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- treater
- electrode
- gas
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- active electrode
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
- H01T19/00—Devices providing for corona discharge
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C59/00—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor
- B29C59/10—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor by electric discharge treatment
- B29C59/12—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor by electric discharge treatment in an environment other than air
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C59/00—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor
- B29C59/14—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor by plasma treatment
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C59/00—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor
- B29C59/14—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor by plasma treatment
- B29C2059/145—Atmospheric plasma
Definitions
- the field of the invention is corona and plasma treater stations, and particularly, the cooling and selective operation of such stations.
- the material is ordinarily fed through a treatment zone in which one surface of the material is bombarded with ions produced by a high voltage alternating electric field ordinarily operating at frequencies of 10-50 kHz.
- the material is supported in the treatment zone by a roller, which also serves as one electrode for the treater.
- An active electrode assembly is supported in the treatment zone and spaced from the roller equidistantly along its length.
- the active electrode may be either a single integral electrode that extends the entire width of the treater station, or it may be a set of electrode segments, which can be selectively moved into and out of a treatment position to adjust the location, and width of the treatment zone as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,537.
- a high voltage ac power supply is connected across the roller and active electrodes to produce a corona through which the web passes.
- Plasma treaters provide a more uniform and controllable surface treatment than corona treaters.
- the treatment zone is infused with an inert gas that is partially ionized by the energized electrodes.
- Early plasma treaters required that the pressure of the ionized gas was reduced well below atmospheric pressure. This required expensive and cumbersome vacuum chambers and pumps to maintain the low pressure at the treatment zone.
- Treaters forming plasma in the treatment zone at atmospheric pressure were subsequently developed, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,972.
- the plasma would form at atmospheric pressure provided an inert gas, typically helium, was used, a dielectric was applied between the electrodes and the operating frequency and voltage of power source was properly selected.
- an inert gas typically helium
- the gas had to be forced through properly sized and spaced openings in the electrodes.
- a major design objective is to produce a certain treatment level with the minimum amount of input power.
- more electrical power is applied.
- Higher power levels produce more heat and methods must be used to dispose of this heat.
- Such methods include cooling the active electrode with external air, cooling the active electrode with cooling fluids, and the addition of active electrodes disposed around the circumference of the roller electrode to disperse the heat. All of these measures increase the complexity, size and cost of the treater; and it can introduce contaminants into the electrode assembly.
- external air cooling is not suitable for plasma treaters because the plasma could be evacuated from the treatment zone.
- One aspect of the present invention is a treater having an air cooling system for one or more tubular active electrodes with inlet and outlet ports in communication with an inner cavity of each active electrode. Air can be passed through the active electrodes from the inlet to the outlet ports to carry away thermal energy during use.
- Another aspect of the invention is a treater that can be operated in any one of three distinct modes.
- the active electrodes form a chamber into which gas from one or more supply lines can be pumped.
- the gas in the chamber is spread along the discharge surfaces of the active electrodes by a diffuser made of a porous ceramic.
- Flow through the supply lines can be controlled to set the mode of use.
- the supply lines can be closed off so that only air is present in the treatment zone during the treatment process.
- the treater provides corona treatment.
- a gas or gas mixture including helium can be piped to the treatment zone, in which case the treater can provide atmospheric plasma treatment.
- the treater can operate in a “chemical corona” treatment mode in which the treatment zone is infused with a gas or gas mixture that is ionized but does not form a plasma.
- One object of the invention is to provide a treater that can be operated in any one of three treatment modes: corona, chemical corona and atmospheric plasma.
- the treater of the invention can be operated in any one of the modes by simply controlling the flow of gas to the active electrodes and selecting the appropriate power parameters.
- the treatment level produced by the active electrode of a corona treater can be improved per unit of input energy by infusing the treatment zone with helium (or helium mixture) to create plasma at one atmosphere with considerably less power consumption.
- Another object of the invention is to sufficiently cool the active electrodes without introducing contaminants into the assembly or using high volume exhaust system. This is accomplished by using hollow, impermeable active electrodes and transferring thermal energy using a low volume of compressed air circulating therethrough.
- FIG. 1 is an end view of a two head treater system of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a single head treater showing electrode electric connections and the connection of gas and air lines to the electrodes;
- FIG. 3 is a partial front elevation view of an active electrode assembly mounted to a support header
- FIG. 4 is an end cross-sectional view taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 3, showing the connection of an active electrode assembly
- FIG. 5 is an end view of the active electrode assembly of FIG. 3.
- FIG. 6 is an end cross-sectional view taken along line 6 - 6 of FIG. 3, showing air and gas supply lines.
- a multi-mode treater station includes a circular cylindrical roller electrode 10 and one or more active electrode assemblies 12 (shown in FIG. 2 with two).
- Each active electrode assembly 12 is mounted to a cylindrical header 14 , preferably made of aluminum, and both the roller electrode 10 and header 14 , are rotatably supported by a pair of spaced upright side assemblies 16 (one shown).
- a substrate in the form of a web 18 is fed into the treater past a pair of feed rollers 20 and around the roller electrode 10 causing it to rotate.
- the roller electrode 10 is a suitable metal, such as aluminum or steel, coated with a heat resistive dielectric material, such as ceramic.
- a hood 22 formed of a number of metal tubular members and panels, preferably made of a suitable sheet metal, that can be hinged up to allow access to the active electrode assemblies 12 and roller electrode 10 .
- An exhaust tube 24 extending from inside the hood 22 draws ozone produced by the ionization process into a chemical treatment chamber as known in the art.
- each active electrode assembly 12 includes an electrode mounting block 26 , preferably made of heat resistant, non-corrosive and non-conducting material, such as suitable phenolic.
- Two active electrodes 28 are mounted in recesses 27 running the length of the mounting block 26 so as to be spaced apart slightly and canted inwardly.
- Each active electrode 28 includes an elongated, preferably ceramic, electrode tube 30 having a generally rectangular cross-section. The electrode tube 30 extends across substantially the entire width of the treater.
- Each electrode tube 30 has non-conductive mounting tabs 33 spaced apart about every 18 to 24 inches that are disposed in corresponding openings 32 .
- the mounting tabs 32 have internally threaded bores for screws 34 that retain the active electrodes 28 to the mounting block 26 .
- Each end of the electrode tubes 30 is closed by a non-conductive end cap (not shown).
- Each active electrode 28 also includes a metallic electrode strip 36 , preferably made of a highly electrically conductive material, such as copper, lying along the bottom of the electrode tube 30 .
- the roller electrode 10 is electrically coupled to ground and the electrode strip 36 is connected to the a terminal of the high voltage power supply 37 , such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,461
- Each active electrode 28 has an active discharge surface 38 that faces the roller electrode 10 .
- the active electrodes 28 are canted to follow the circular surface of the roller electrode 10 and to position the full width of the discharge surfaces 38 nearest to the surface of the roller electrode 10 .
- the mounting block 26 is also formed to include a lengthwise channel 40 between the active electrodes 28 that is covered at the bottom by a lengthwise diffuser 42 so as to form a central chamber 43 .
- the diffuser 42 forms the porous wall of the central chamber 43 and is preferably made of a heat resistant, porous material.
- the porous material has a porosity of 2-20 microns, such as a porous ceramic filter element AF6 having 6 micron pores commercially available from Refractron Technologies Corp. of Newark, N.Y.
- each header 14 supports an active electrode assembly 12 at bosses 44 fastened to the top of the mounting block 26 .
- the mounting block 26 is fastened to two or more annular rib ceramic spacers 46 by screws 48 .
- the ceramic spacers 46 are in turn fastened to a lengthwise flange 50 attached to the header 14 by fasteners held in place by air gap adjustment nuts 52 at stainless steel blocks 53 .
- This arrangement allows the height (and thereby the gap between the active electrode assemblies 12 and the roller electrode 10 ) to be adjusted by turning in and out the air gap adjustment nuts 52 as needed.
- the active electrode assemblies 12 are shrouded by an aluminum guard 55 .
- two air tubes 54 run from fittings 56 disposed in bores in the mounting block 26 at inlet openings 58 at one end of the active electrodes 28 .
- the air tubes 54 can be any suitable solid or flexible conduit for carrying air, such as polyethylene tubing.
- outlet openings 60 have fittings 62 disposed in corresponding bores in the mounting block 26 coupling exhaust tubes 64 extending from the active electrode assembly 12 into a Pyrex elbow 66 fit in an opening in the header 14 .
- the exhaust lines 64 extend out of one or more openings at the end of the header 14 .
- a gas supply line 68 runs from a fitting 70 in an inlet opening 72 at one end of the mounting block 26 leading to the chamber 43 .
- the gas supply line 68 is preferably stainless steel tubing and/or flexible Teflon tubing.
- a second gas supply line (not shown) can run to a second inlet opening 74 at the opposite end of the mounting block 26 to provide more uniform distribution along the length of the active electrodes 28 . If a second gas supply line is not used, the inlet opening 74 can be closed by a suitable non-conductive plug (not shown).
- the two air tubes 54 and the gas supply line 68 extend from the active electrode assembly 12 into a second elbow 76 in an opening near the opposite end of the header 14 where the air tubes 54 and gas supply line 68 exit the header 14 .
- the air tubes 54 are suitably coupled to a compressed air source 78 such as a dedicated compressor or tap from a facility compressed air system.
- the gas supply line 68 runs to a flow meter 80 having a mixing valve coupled to one or more pressurized gas supply tanks 82 , one of which contains helium.
- the additional tank(s) 82 can hold nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and acetylene (or other suitable gas known in the art) selected according to the material to be treated.
- the air source 78 pumps approximately 2 CFM of compressed air through the air tubes 54 to the interior cavity of the active electrode tubes 30 .
- the compressed air passes from the inlet opening 58 at one end though the length of the active electrode 28 and exits the outlet opening 60 .
- the compressed air is relatively cool compared to the high temperatures of the active electrodes 28 , which can operate at 100 degrees Celsius.
- the relatively cool air will carry away heat from the active electrodes 28 to cool the assembly 12 .
- the cooling air passes by the entire surface area of the interior walls of the active electrodes 28 , thereby maximizing heat transfer.
- the compressed air does not draw in contaminants from the work area, which could otherwise be carbonized on the active electrodes 28 and cause arcing during use.
- the air evacuate the ionized air or gas in the treatment zone 81 between the active electrodes 28 and the roller electrode 10 which would adversely affect the quality of the treatment.
- the treater can be operated in three treatment modes: corona, chemical corona and plasma.
- the web material 18 is fed, at a certain line speed, through the treatment zone 81 near the discharge surfaces 38 of the active electrodes 28 .
- the gas supply is stopped at the flow meter 80 so that no gas is present at the treatment zone.
- Compressed air can be passed through the gas supply line 68 , by opening the valve 86 (shown in FIG. 2), to force air past the outside the active electrodes 28 through the gap between the active electrodes 28 beneath the diffuser 42 . Doing so provides further cooling of the active electrodes 28 , which is particularly beneficial to reduce the elevated temperatures in this treatment mode caused by the higher energy requirements of ionizing air. No contaminants are introduced because air is forced out away from the active electrodes 28 and because of the low volume and velocity of the compressed air employed.
- the energy requirements for the active electrodes 28 depend upon factors such as the type and width of the material being treated as well as the line speed of the process. Generally, the active electrodes 28 operate at 15-30 kHz and 10 kV when corona treating a 60 inch polymer web. Corona treatment provides a suitable macroscopic smoothing of the material surface and increase in surface tension for standard labeling, inking and lamination applications.
- the treatment level can be improved somewhat by operating the treater in the chemical corona mode in which gas is infused into the treatment zone and then ionized by the active electrodes 28 .
- This is done by operating the flow meter 80 to send gas from a supply tank 84 through the gas supply line 68 into the chamber 43 .
- valve 86 is closed so that air is not passed through the gas line 68 .
- the gas in the chamber 43 is uniformly distributed along the length of the active electrodes 28 by the diffuser 42 .
- the gas is selected according to the material being treated as known in the art; for example, nitrogen is commonly used for treatment of polypropylene webs. A suitable mixture of gases may also be infused into the treatment zone.
- the active electrodes 28 in this mode operate under approximately the same input parameters as in the no gas corona mode mentioned above.
- the infusion of nitrogen may also work to reduce the production of ozone during the ionization process, thereby potentially reducing the air removal volume requirements of the exhaust system.
- the infusion of gaseous nitrogen into the corona may reduce the amount of power needed to produce a given treatment level since it is easier to ionize than air.
- the flow meter 80 is adjusted to pass helium to the treatment zone so that when ionized, plasma is formed in the treatment zone 81 . It has been found that the helium content of the ionized gas at the treatment zone can be as low as 80 percent helium for plasma to form.
- atmospheric plasma treatment often referred to as “glow discharge plasma” provides an enhance treatment at lower energy requirements, without the formation of potentially damaging “streamers” that can occur in corona treatments. Materials with surfaces treated with plasma can be nearly homogenous. Consequently, although suitable for use for conventional polymer, foil and paper applications, plasma treating is preferred for applications requiring more uniform and enhanced treatment, such as photographic processing.
- the active electrodes 28 operate at approximately 50-100 kHz and 2-6 kV, again depending on the properties of the material being treated.
- the power supply includes a second transformer, among other things, having a higher turns ratio, approximately 2 to 1 over that used for corona and chemical corona treating.
- the treatment level is determined in part by the amount of electrical power applied. Generally, applying more electrical power will increase the treatment level. However, atmospheric plasma treating will provide approximately the same treatment level as corona treating, with enhanced uniformity and at a lower energy.
- the treatment zone 81 (the gap between the active electrodes 28 and the roller electrode 10 ) can be increased from approximately 0.06 inches for corona treating to about 0.375 inches, thereby significantly expanding the range of material thickness that can be treated.
- the invention provides a treater that can be operated in any one of three treatment modes by simply controlling the flow of gas to the active electrodes.
- the treater mode can be selected according to the application.
- the treater can be run in corona mode for low precision applications such as laminating polyolefin material or in chemical corona mode for enhanced treatment of polypropylenes.
- the treater can be operated in plasma mode for treating Teflon® or in high precision applications such as photographic processing or other applications where optical distortion is particularly undesirable.
- the conversion can be quickly and easily accomplished by operating the flow meter to change the type of gas flowing to the treatment zone or to stop gas flow altogether and selecting the proper power parameters from the power supply 37 .
- the treater of the present invention can be sufficiently cooled without introducing contaminants into the electrode assembly. This is accomplished by using hollow active electrodes and circulating compressed air therethrough to transfer thermal energy from the active electrodes to the passing air. In corona mode, compressed air can be pumped through the gas line past the exterior surfaces of the active electrodes for further cooling.
- the active electrodes could be cooled by pumping a liquid coolant, such as water, from a pressurized source through conduit running through the tubular body of the active electrodes.
- a liquid coolant such as water
Abstract
Description
- Not applicable.
- Not applicable.
- The field of the invention is corona and plasma treater stations, and particularly, the cooling and selective operation of such stations.
- Materials, such as paper, polymer webs and various films, are often used in printing, coating and laminating applications. Many polymers, for example, have chemically inert surfaces with low surface energies providing poor bonding properties. To improve bonding, the surface of the material must be treated to raise the surface tension and thereby improve the application of adhesives and inks. There are a number of known techniques for treating the surface of materials to raise surface energy including flame, chemical, corona and plasma treatments.
- In corona treatment, the material is ordinarily fed through a treatment zone in which one surface of the material is bombarded with ions produced by a high voltage alternating electric field ordinarily operating at frequencies of 10-50 kHz. The material is supported in the treatment zone by a roller, which also serves as one electrode for the treater. An active electrode assembly is supported in the treatment zone and spaced from the roller equidistantly along its length. The active electrode may be either a single integral electrode that extends the entire width of the treater station, or it may be a set of electrode segments, which can be selectively moved into and out of a treatment position to adjust the location, and width of the treatment zone as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,537. In any event, a high voltage ac power supply is connected across the roller and active electrodes to produce a corona through which the web passes.
- Plasma treaters provide a more uniform and controllable surface treatment than corona treaters. In plasma treaters, the treatment zone is infused with an inert gas that is partially ionized by the energized electrodes. Early plasma treaters required that the pressure of the ionized gas was reduced well below atmospheric pressure. This required expensive and cumbersome vacuum chambers and pumps to maintain the low pressure at the treatment zone.
- Treaters forming plasma in the treatment zone at atmospheric pressure were subsequently developed, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,972. The plasma would form at atmospheric pressure provided an inert gas, typically helium, was used, a dielectric was applied between the electrodes and the operating frequency and voltage of power source was properly selected. Moreover, in the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,145, the gas had to be forced through properly sized and spaced openings in the electrodes.
- The art of atmospheric plasma treaters was again advanced by the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,218 in which a gas or gas mixture was forcibly diffused through active electrodes made of a porous metal. This patent explains that as the gas passes through the small pores of the electrodes (on the order of a micron), a hollow cathode effect is produced which facilitates ionization of the gas so that a atmospheric plasma can be produced at low frequencies.
- In all of these systems, a major design objective is to produce a certain treatment level with the minimum amount of input power. As a general matter, to achieve a higher treatment level with a given treater at atmospheric pressure, more electrical power is applied. Higher power levels produce more heat and methods must be used to dispose of this heat. Such methods include cooling the active electrode with external air, cooling the active electrode with cooling fluids, and the addition of active electrodes disposed around the circumference of the roller electrode to disperse the heat. All of these measures increase the complexity, size and cost of the treater; and it can introduce contaminants into the electrode assembly. Moreover, external air cooling is not suitable for plasma treaters because the plasma could be evacuated from the treatment zone.
- One aspect of the present invention is a treater having an air cooling system for one or more tubular active electrodes with inlet and outlet ports in communication with an inner cavity of each active electrode. Air can be passed through the active electrodes from the inlet to the outlet ports to carry away thermal energy during use.
- Another aspect of the invention is a treater that can be operated in any one of three distinct modes. The active electrodes form a chamber into which gas from one or more supply lines can be pumped. The gas in the chamber is spread along the discharge surfaces of the active electrodes by a diffuser made of a porous ceramic. Flow through the supply lines can be controlled to set the mode of use. In particular, the supply lines can be closed off so that only air is present in the treatment zone during the treatment process. In this case, the treater provides corona treatment. Alternatively, a gas or gas mixture including helium can be piped to the treatment zone, in which case the treater can provide atmospheric plasma treatment. Finally, the treater can operate in a “chemical corona” treatment mode in which the treatment zone is infused with a gas or gas mixture that is ionized but does not form a plasma.
- One object of the invention is to provide a treater that can be operated in any one of three treatment modes: corona, chemical corona and atmospheric plasma. The treater of the invention can be operated in any one of the modes by simply controlling the flow of gas to the active electrodes and selecting the appropriate power parameters. Thus, the treatment level produced by the active electrode of a corona treater can be improved per unit of input energy by infusing the treatment zone with helium (or helium mixture) to create plasma at one atmosphere with considerably less power consumption.
- Another object of the invention is to sufficiently cool the active electrodes without introducing contaminants into the assembly or using high volume exhaust system. This is accomplished by using hollow, impermeable active electrodes and transferring thermal energy using a low volume of compressed air circulating therethrough.
- The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In that description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. This embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. Thus, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention.
- FIG. 1 is an end view of a two head treater system of the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a single head treater showing electrode electric connections and the connection of gas and air lines to the electrodes;
- FIG. 3 is a partial front elevation view of an active electrode assembly mounted to a support header;
- FIG. 4 is an end cross-sectional view taken along line4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the connection of an active electrode assembly;
- FIG. 5 is an end view of the active electrode assembly of FIG. 3; and
- FIG. 6 is an end cross-sectional view taken along line6-6 of FIG. 3, showing air and gas supply lines.
- Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a multi-mode treater station includes a circular
cylindrical roller electrode 10 and one or more active electrode assemblies 12 (shown in FIG. 2 with two). Eachactive electrode assembly 12 is mounted to acylindrical header 14, preferably made of aluminum, and both theroller electrode 10 andheader 14, are rotatably supported by a pair of spaced upright side assemblies 16 (one shown). A substrate in the form of aweb 18 is fed into the treater past a pair offeed rollers 20 and around theroller electrode 10 causing it to rotate. Theroller electrode 10 is a suitable metal, such as aluminum or steel, coated with a heat resistive dielectric material, such as ceramic. The working area of the treater is enclosed by ahood 22 formed of a number of metal tubular members and panels, preferably made of a suitable sheet metal, that can be hinged up to allow access to theactive electrode assemblies 12 androller electrode 10. Anexhaust tube 24 extending from inside thehood 22 draws ozone produced by the ionization process into a chemical treatment chamber as known in the art. - Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and5, each
active electrode assembly 12 includes anelectrode mounting block 26, preferably made of heat resistant, non-corrosive and non-conducting material, such as suitable phenolic. Twoactive electrodes 28 are mounted inrecesses 27 running the length of the mountingblock 26 so as to be spaced apart slightly and canted inwardly. Eachactive electrode 28 includes an elongated, preferably ceramic, electrode tube 30 having a generally rectangular cross-section. The electrode tube 30 extends across substantially the entire width of the treater. Each electrode tube 30 has non-conductive mountingtabs 33 spaced apart about every 18 to 24 inches that are disposed in correspondingopenings 32. The mountingtabs 32 have internally threaded bores forscrews 34 that retain theactive electrodes 28 to the mountingblock 26. Each end of the electrode tubes 30 is closed by a non-conductive end cap (not shown). - Each
active electrode 28 also includes ametallic electrode strip 36, preferably made of a highly electrically conductive material, such as copper, lying along the bottom of the electrode tube 30. Referring now to FIG. 2, theroller electrode 10 is electrically coupled to ground and theelectrode strip 36 is connected to the a terminal of the highvoltage power supply 37, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,461 - Each
active electrode 28 has anactive discharge surface 38 that faces theroller electrode 10. Theactive electrodes 28 are canted to follow the circular surface of theroller electrode 10 and to position the full width of the discharge surfaces 38 nearest to the surface of theroller electrode 10. The mountingblock 26 is also formed to include alengthwise channel 40 between theactive electrodes 28 that is covered at the bottom by alengthwise diffuser 42 so as to form acentral chamber 43. Thediffuser 42 forms the porous wall of thecentral chamber 43 and is preferably made of a heat resistant, porous material. In the preferred embodiment the porous material has a porosity of 2-20 microns, such as a porous ceramic filter element AF6 having 6 micron pores commercially available from Refractron Technologies Corp. of Newark, N.Y. - Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, each
header 14 supports anactive electrode assembly 12 atbosses 44 fastened to the top of the mountingblock 26. In particular, the mountingblock 26 is fastened to two or more annular ribceramic spacers 46 byscrews 48. Theceramic spacers 46 are in turn fastened to alengthwise flange 50 attached to theheader 14 by fasteners held in place by airgap adjustment nuts 52 at stainless steel blocks 53. This arrangement allows the height (and thereby the gap between theactive electrode assemblies 12 and the roller electrode 10) to be adjusted by turning in and out the airgap adjustment nuts 52 as needed. Theactive electrode assemblies 12 are shrouded by analuminum guard 55. - Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3,5 and 6, two
air tubes 54 run from fittings 56 disposed in bores in the mountingblock 26 atinlet openings 58 at one end of theactive electrodes 28. Theair tubes 54 can be any suitable solid or flexible conduit for carrying air, such as polyethylene tubing. At the opposite end of theactive electrodes 28,outlet openings 60 havefittings 62 disposed in corresponding bores in the mountingblock 26coupling exhaust tubes 64 extending from theactive electrode assembly 12 into aPyrex elbow 66 fit in an opening in theheader 14. The exhaust lines 64 extend out of one or more openings at the end of theheader 14. - A
gas supply line 68 runs from a fitting 70 in aninlet opening 72 at one end of the mountingblock 26 leading to thechamber 43. Thegas supply line 68 is preferably stainless steel tubing and/or flexible Teflon tubing. Although not shown, for wider applications (for example over 60 inches), a second gas supply line (not shown) can run to a second inlet opening 74 at the opposite end of the mountingblock 26 to provide more uniform distribution along the length of theactive electrodes 28. If a second gas supply line is not used, the inlet opening 74 can be closed by a suitable non-conductive plug (not shown). - The two
air tubes 54 and thegas supply line 68 extend from theactive electrode assembly 12 into asecond elbow 76 in an opening near the opposite end of theheader 14 where theair tubes 54 andgas supply line 68 exit theheader 14. As shown in FIG. 2, theair tubes 54 are suitably coupled to acompressed air source 78 such as a dedicated compressor or tap from a facility compressed air system. Thegas supply line 68 runs to aflow meter 80 having a mixing valve coupled to one or more pressurized gas supply tanks 82, one of which contains helium. The additional tank(s) 82 can hold nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and acetylene (or other suitable gas known in the art) selected according to the material to be treated. - The
air source 78 pumps approximately 2 CFM of compressed air through theair tubes 54 to the interior cavity of the active electrode tubes 30. The compressed air passes from the inlet opening 58 at one end though the length of theactive electrode 28 and exits theoutlet opening 60. The compressed air is relatively cool compared to the high temperatures of theactive electrodes 28, which can operate at 100 degrees Celsius. The relatively cool air will carry away heat from theactive electrodes 28 to cool theassembly 12. The cooling air passes by the entire surface area of the interior walls of theactive electrodes 28, thereby maximizing heat transfer. Moreover, the compressed air does not draw in contaminants from the work area, which could otherwise be carbonized on theactive electrodes 28 and cause arcing during use. Nor does the air evacuate the ionized air or gas in thetreatment zone 81 between theactive electrodes 28 and theroller electrode 10, which would adversely affect the quality of the treatment. - As mentioned above, the treater can be operated in three treatment modes: corona, chemical corona and plasma. In either case, the
web material 18 is fed, at a certain line speed, through thetreatment zone 81 near the discharge surfaces 38 of theactive electrodes 28. - In the corona treatment mode, the gas supply is stopped at the
flow meter 80 so that no gas is present at the treatment zone. Compressed air can be passed through thegas supply line 68, by opening the valve 86 (shown in FIG. 2), to force air past the outside theactive electrodes 28 through the gap between theactive electrodes 28 beneath thediffuser 42. Doing so provides further cooling of theactive electrodes 28, which is particularly beneficial to reduce the elevated temperatures in this treatment mode caused by the higher energy requirements of ionizing air. No contaminants are introduced because air is forced out away from theactive electrodes 28 and because of the low volume and velocity of the compressed air employed. - As mentioned above, the energy requirements for the
active electrodes 28 depend upon factors such as the type and width of the material being treated as well as the line speed of the process. Generally, theactive electrodes 28 operate at 15-30 kHz and 10 kV when corona treating a 60 inch polymer web. Corona treatment provides a suitable macroscopic smoothing of the material surface and increase in surface tension for standard labeling, inking and lamination applications. - The treatment level can be improved somewhat by operating the treater in the chemical corona mode in which gas is infused into the treatment zone and then ionized by the
active electrodes 28. This is done by operating theflow meter 80 to send gas from asupply tank 84 through thegas supply line 68 into thechamber 43. In this mode,valve 86 is closed so that air is not passed through thegas line 68. The gas in thechamber 43 is uniformly distributed along the length of theactive electrodes 28 by thediffuser 42. The gas is selected according to the material being treated as known in the art; for example, nitrogen is commonly used for treatment of polypropylene webs. A suitable mixture of gases may also be infused into the treatment zone. Theactive electrodes 28 in this mode operate under approximately the same input parameters as in the no gas corona mode mentioned above. - The infusion of nitrogen may also work to reduce the production of ozone during the ionization process, thereby potentially reducing the air removal volume requirements of the exhaust system. The infusion of gaseous nitrogen into the corona may reduce the amount of power needed to produce a given treatment level since it is easier to ionize than air.
- In the plasma mode, the
flow meter 80 is adjusted to pass helium to the treatment zone so that when ionized, plasma is formed in thetreatment zone 81. It has been found that the helium content of the ionized gas at the treatment zone can be as low as 80 percent helium for plasma to form. As is well known in the art, atmospheric plasma treatment, often referred to as “glow discharge plasma” provides an enhance treatment at lower energy requirements, without the formation of potentially damaging “streamers” that can occur in corona treatments. Materials with surfaces treated with plasma can be nearly homogenous. Consequently, although suitable for use for conventional polymer, foil and paper applications, plasma treating is preferred for applications requiring more uniform and enhanced treatment, such as photographic processing. - When the treater is in the plasma mode, the
active electrodes 28 operate at approximately 50-100 kHz and 2-6 kV, again depending on the properties of the material being treated. To provide these characteristics, the power supply includes a second transformer, among other things, having a higher turns ratio, approximately 2 to 1 over that used for corona and chemical corona treating. The treatment level is determined in part by the amount of electrical power applied. Generally, applying more electrical power will increase the treatment level. However, atmospheric plasma treating will provide approximately the same treatment level as corona treating, with enhanced uniformity and at a lower energy. Moreover, the treatment zone 81 (the gap between theactive electrodes 28 and the roller electrode 10) can be increased from approximately 0.06 inches for corona treating to about 0.375 inches, thereby significantly expanding the range of material thickness that can be treated. - Thus, the invention provides a treater that can be operated in any one of three treatment modes by simply controlling the flow of gas to the active electrodes. The treater mode can be selected according to the application. For example, the treater can be run in corona mode for low precision applications such as laminating polyolefin material or in chemical corona mode for enhanced treatment of polypropylenes. The treater can be operated in plasma mode for treating Teflon® or in high precision applications such as photographic processing or other applications where optical distortion is particularly undesirable. The conversion can be quickly and easily accomplished by operating the flow meter to change the type of gas flowing to the treatment zone or to stop gas flow altogether and selecting the proper power parameters from the
power supply 37. - Moreover, the treater of the present invention can be sufficiently cooled without introducing contaminants into the electrode assembly. This is accomplished by using hollow active electrodes and circulating compressed air therethrough to transfer thermal energy from the active electrodes to the passing air. In corona mode, compressed air can be pumped through the gas line past the exterior surfaces of the active electrodes for further cooling.
- It can be appreciated that many variations are possible from the preferred embodiment described above without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is possible that the active electrodes could be cooled by pumping a liquid coolant, such as water, from a pressurized source through conduit running through the tubular body of the active electrodes. Reference should therefore be made to the claims for interpreting the entire scope of the invention.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/783,628 US6429595B1 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2001-02-14 | Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system |
DE60224166T DE60224166T2 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2002-02-06 | "Treatment device with air cooling system" |
AT02703351T ATE381800T1 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2002-02-06 | MULTIMODE TREATMENT DEVICE WITH AIR COOLING SYSTEM |
PCT/US2002/003554 WO2002065603A2 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2002-02-06 | Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system |
EP02703351A EP1360748B1 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2002-02-06 | Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/783,628 US6429595B1 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2001-02-14 | Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US6429595B1 US6429595B1 (en) | 2002-08-06 |
US20020109470A1 true US20020109470A1 (en) | 2002-08-15 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/783,628 Expired - Lifetime US6429595B1 (en) | 2001-02-14 | 2001-02-14 | Multi-mode treater with internal air cooling system |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6429595B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1360748B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE381800T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60224166T2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002065603A2 (en) |
Cited By (6)
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US20100207459A1 (en) * | 2007-09-11 | 2010-08-19 | Howe Varce E | Roller spark gap |
US20110287193A1 (en) * | 2008-10-23 | 2011-11-24 | Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast- Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno | Apparatus and method for treating an object |
EP2574446A1 (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2013-04-03 | Softal Corona & Plasma GmbH | Method and Device for Manipulating Surface Characteristics of Plastic Films or Metal Foils |
EP3466660A4 (en) * | 2016-05-31 | 2019-12-25 | Kasuga Denki, Inc. | Surface modifying device |
EP3706519A1 (en) * | 2019-03-08 | 2020-09-09 | FGM Fritz Gradert Maschinenbau GmbH + Co. KG | Electrode and device for corona treatment of surfaces |
EP3666819A4 (en) * | 2017-08-07 | 2021-05-26 | Kasuga Denki, Inc. | Surface modifying device |
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ES2295321T3 (en) * | 2001-07-27 | 2008-04-16 | Tokuyama Corporation | CURABLE COMPOSITION, CURED ARTICLE OBTAINED FROM IT AND PHOTOCROMIC OPTICAL MATERIAL AND PROCEDURE FOR ITS PRODUCTION. |
US6815246B2 (en) * | 2003-02-13 | 2004-11-09 | Rwe Schott Solar Inc. | Surface modification of silicon nitride for thick film silver metallization of solar cell |
US7220462B2 (en) * | 2004-04-27 | 2007-05-22 | Praxair Technology, Inc. | Method and electrode assembly for non-equilibrium plasma treatment |
US20050235915A1 (en) * | 2004-04-27 | 2005-10-27 | Ho Yeu-Chuan S | Plasma surface treatment electrode assembly and arrangement |
KR100737755B1 (en) * | 2006-08-10 | 2007-07-10 | 세메스 주식회사 | Plasma generator, apparatus including the same and method for treating substrate |
WO2009061610A1 (en) * | 2007-11-08 | 2009-05-14 | Enercon Industries Corporation | Atmospheric treater with roller confined discharge chamber |
US9296924B2 (en) * | 2008-07-01 | 2016-03-29 | Firestone Building Products Company, Llc | Static dissipative release liner |
US9309619B2 (en) * | 2011-06-28 | 2016-04-12 | Mtix Ltd. | Method and apparatus for surface treatment of materials utilizing multiple combined energy sources |
WO2013103355A1 (en) * | 2012-01-06 | 2013-07-11 | Tan Daniel Brian | Apparatus and method for corona treating film for self opening bags |
US9126362B2 (en) | 2012-01-06 | 2015-09-08 | Daniel Brian Tan | Apparatus and method for corona treating film for self opening bags |
EP3054032B1 (en) * | 2015-02-09 | 2017-08-23 | Coating Plasma Industrie | Installation for film deposition onto and/or modification of the surface of a moving substrate |
US9831070B1 (en) | 2017-06-15 | 2017-11-28 | Enercon Industries Corporation | Surface treater with expansion electrode arrangement |
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DE2427933C2 (en) * | 1974-06-10 | 1983-08-04 | Klaus 4803 Steinhagen Kalwar | Static knife electrode for treating electrically conductive materials with corona discharges |
US4028551A (en) * | 1975-10-17 | 1977-06-07 | Champion International Corporation | Apparatus and method for corona discharge priming a dielectric web |
US4575329A (en) * | 1984-01-09 | 1986-03-11 | Andreas Ahlbrandt | Electrode element for corona treater |
US4556544A (en) | 1984-05-17 | 1985-12-03 | Andreas Ahlbrandt | Retract mechanism for corona treater station |
US5194291A (en) * | 1991-04-22 | 1993-03-16 | General Atomics | Corona discharge treatment |
US5281174A (en) | 1992-11-12 | 1994-01-25 | Pillar Technologies | Corona treater high voltage plug-in |
US5293043A (en) | 1992-12-24 | 1994-03-08 | Pillar Technologies | Electrode assembly for a corona tester |
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US5437844A (en) | 1993-10-25 | 1995-08-01 | Pillar Technologies, Inc. | Corona treater electrode cooling system |
US5789145A (en) | 1996-07-23 | 1998-08-04 | Eastman Kodak Company | Atmospheric pressure glow discharge treatment of base material for photographic applications |
DE19713127C1 (en) * | 1997-03-27 | 1998-11-12 | Brueckner Maschbau | Corona electrode arrangement |
US6106659A (en) * | 1997-07-14 | 2000-08-22 | The University Of Tennessee Research Corporation | Treater systems and methods for generating moderate-to-high-pressure plasma discharges for treating materials and related treated materials |
US6118218A (en) | 1999-02-01 | 2000-09-12 | Sigma Technologies International, Inc. | Steady-state glow-discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure |
-
2001
- 2001-02-14 US US09/783,628 patent/US6429595B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2002
- 2002-02-06 EP EP02703351A patent/EP1360748B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-02-06 DE DE60224166T patent/DE60224166T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-02-06 WO PCT/US2002/003554 patent/WO2002065603A2/en active IP Right Grant
- 2002-02-06 AT AT02703351T patent/ATE381800T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100207459A1 (en) * | 2007-09-11 | 2010-08-19 | Howe Varce E | Roller spark gap |
US8598748B2 (en) * | 2007-09-11 | 2013-12-03 | Xtreme Ads Limited | Roller spark gap |
US20110287193A1 (en) * | 2008-10-23 | 2011-11-24 | Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast- Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno | Apparatus and method for treating an object |
EP2574446A1 (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2013-04-03 | Softal Corona & Plasma GmbH | Method and Device for Manipulating Surface Characteristics of Plastic Films or Metal Foils |
WO2013045304A1 (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2013-04-04 | Softal Corona & Plasma Gmbh | Method and device for influencing surface properties of plastic films or metal foils |
EP3466660A4 (en) * | 2016-05-31 | 2019-12-25 | Kasuga Denki, Inc. | Surface modifying device |
EP3666819A4 (en) * | 2017-08-07 | 2021-05-26 | Kasuga Denki, Inc. | Surface modifying device |
EP3706519A1 (en) * | 2019-03-08 | 2020-09-09 | FGM Fritz Gradert Maschinenbau GmbH + Co. KG | Electrode and device for corona treatment of surfaces |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2002065603A2 (en) | 2002-08-22 |
DE60224166D1 (en) | 2008-01-31 |
ATE381800T1 (en) | 2008-01-15 |
EP1360748A2 (en) | 2003-11-12 |
WO2002065603A3 (en) | 2002-10-10 |
US6429595B1 (en) | 2002-08-06 |
EP1360748B1 (en) | 2007-12-19 |
DE60224166T2 (en) | 2008-12-11 |
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