From the definitions above, a measurement of surface wetting or surface energy can indicate the effectiveness of plasma treatment. We provide a range of measurement techniques including surface energy test inks and pens as well as contact angle measurement instruments, which measure the shape and angle of a drop of liquid in contact with the surface.

Solid, liquid and gas are the three states of matter we are all familiar with. We can move between the states by adding or removing energy (e.g. heating/cooling). If we continue to add enough energy (for a plasma, we add electrical energy), gas molecules will become ionised (lose one or more electrons) and so carry a net positive charge. If enough molecules are ionised to affect the overall electrical characteristics of the gas the result is called a plasma. Plasmas are, therefore, quite rightly, often referred to as the fourth state of matter.

A plasma contains positive ions, electrons, neutral gas atoms or molecules, UV light and also excited gas atoms and molecules, which can carry a large amount of internal energy (plasmas glow because the light is emitted as these excited neutral particles relax to a lower energy state). All of these species can and do interact with any surface placed in contact with the plasma. By choosing the gas mixture, power and other conditions we can quite precisely tune, or specify, the effects of the plasma upon the surface.

Henniker Plasma’s range of vacuum plasma treatment systems (HPT and Nebula models) include a suitable vacuum pump which is required for the low pressures needed during plasma operation.

To learn more about which vacuum pump you should choose, see our knowledge article entitled 'Let's Talk About... Which vacuum pump should I choose?'.

Plasma treatments aim to convert low energy surfaces to higher energy surfaces by attaching oxygen
containing species to the surface.