Glow discharge for wettability

Certain materials, particularly synthetics, resist wetting and present adhesion problems, therefore Eastman Kodak, Rochester, USA have developed an uncomplicated glow discharge treatment which is designed for treating a web of material in a coating line, and so modify its behaviour. The treatment comprises passing the web through a chamber in which there is an atmosphere of helium and nitrogen and/or oxygen and it is this that facilities a stable glow discharge over a wide range of frequencies and voltages. It is applied to the sheet of material before it enters the coating range and the company claims it allows minimisation or virtual elimination of treatment decay through latency loss. Details of the equipment are provided.