With polyolefins in particular, the required functionality is difficult to achieve due to their relatively non-reactive surface. Physical or wet chemical processes offer possible solutions, and physical processes such as plasma treatments are generally better for the environment and easier to execute than etching methods.

Plasma applications and plasma systems in the surface technology sector are therefore gaining popularity – as can be seen in the Surface Technology Area of the Industrial Supply trade fair at HANNOVER MESSE.

In many areas today, adhesion between two materials is needed in situations where a mechanical bond is either impossible or undesirable. When the entire interface is to be bonded, the physical phenomena of adhesion and cohesion can be utilized. For temperature sensitive plastics, large-scale surface plasma treatments enable covalent chemical bonding of two materials at temperatures below 50°C. Plasma treatments generate either reactive layers, chemical functional groups or radicals on the surface. These can bond metals to plastics, or bond two different plastics together.