A method for increasing homogeneously the wettability of a porous body vis a vis a fluid includes a step in which the porous body is exposed in a treatment chamber to a nitrogen plasma generated by an electromagnetic wave discharge in nitrogen gas. Applications include increasing the wettability of a marker tip.
Fluoropolymer particles are subjected to high energy treatment so as to change the chemical functionality of the particle surfaces and thereby change the surface characteristics of the particles. These characteristics improve the usefulness of these particles and can make them highly dispersible, even in water. The surface treated fluoropolymer particles are subject to a chemical crosslinking process, or alternatively, are subject to a high energy treatment process, and may optionally be pretreated with a macromolecular chemical species prior to the foregoing processes. The high energy treatment can be used to both surface treat the fluoropolymer particles and in some embodiments, may also cause chain scission of the fluoropolymers to thereby reduce the molecular weight of the fluoropolymer particles. The surface treated fluoropolymer particles can be used to form fluoropolymer coatings on various substrates.
Fluoropolymer powder particles which are surface treated so as to change the chemical functionality on their surfaces which in turn changes the surfaces characteristics. These characteristics improve the usefulness of these powders and can make them wettable. The surface treated fluoropolymer particles are subject to an atmospheric plasma treatment process, and preferably pretreated with a macromolecular chemical species prior to the atmospheric plasma treatment. The atmospheric plasma treatment enhances adhesion to the powder surface and can also enhance cross-linking of the macromolecular chemical species. The surface treated fluoropolymer powders can be used to form fluoropolymer coatings on various substrates.
The application discloses methods of plasma treatment that employ an ion sheath in a capacitively-coupled system to increase the hydrophilicity of porous articles, including microporous articles having pore sizes of 0.05 to 1.5 micrometers, both on their surfaces and in their pores such that the articles' bulk wetting properties are improved.
The application discloses methods of plasma treatment that employ an ion sheath in a capacitively-coupled system to increase the hydrophilicity of porous articles, including microporous articles having pore sizes of 0.05 to 1.5 micrometers, both on their surfaces and in their pores such that the articles' bulk wetting properties are improved.
