Particle-plasma ablation process
View Patent ↗A method for simultaneously ablating and functionalizing a portion of a substrate surface, comprising the following steps: applying a CO2 particle spray against an unreacted portion of the substrate surface; and simultaneously projecting at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation into said CO2 particle spray flowing against said unreacted portion of the substrate surface, thus intersecting and mixing together to form an instantaneous surface treatment composition of ionizing-heating radiation and CO2 particle spray flowing against the substrate surface, and to form and remove a reacted portion of the substrate surface.
1. A method for simultaneously ablating and functionalizing a portion of a substrate surface, comprising the following steps:
Applying a CO2 particle spray against an unreacted portion of the substrate surface; and
Simultaneously projecting at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation into said CO2 particle spray flowing against said unreacted portion of the substrate surface, thus intersecting and mixing together to form an instantaneous surface treatment composition of ionizing-heating radiation and CO2 particle spray flowing against the substrate surface, and to form and remove a reacted portion of the substrate surface; and the at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation is Blown Ion Plasma or Corona Plasma.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CO2 particle spray is a CO2 Composite Spray.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the CO2 Composite Spray is a composition of solid phase carbon dioxide particles, having variable particle size and concentration, entrained in a temperature-controlled, pressure-controlled, and flow-controlled propellant comprising a clean inert gas.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation is a UV Laser, NIR Laser, IR Laser, RF Ablation, Pulsed UV Light, IR Light, Excimer Laser, Semiconductor Laser, Diode Laser, Fiber Laser, Nd:YAG Laser, and CO2 Laser.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate surfaces comprise polymers, fibers, plastics, glass, composites, metals, ceramics, polyester, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyureaurethane, polysulfone, thiourea, titanium, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone, polypropylene and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CO2 Composite Spray controls surface temperature by impinging a composition of CO2 solid particles and particle sizes entrained in the temperature-regulated and pressure-regulated propellant gas against said same surface portion.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the propellant comprises air, nitrogen, oxygen, ozonated air, carbon dioxide, argon, or helium gas.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the CO2 Composite Spray contains additives comprising silanes, siloxanes, fluorinates, amines or ozone, which provide beneficial surface chemistry during surface plasma reactions.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous ablation and functionalization is between 0.1 mm/sec and 300 mm/sec.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneous ablation and functionalization is between 10 mm/sec and 200 mm/sec.
11. A method for simultaneously ablating and functionalizing a portion of a substrate surface, comprising the following steps:
Applying a CO2 Composite Spray against an unreacted portion of the substrate surface; and
Simultaneously projecting at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation into said CO2 Composite Spray flowing against said unreacted portion of the substrate surface, thus intersecting and mixing together to form an instantaneous surface treatment composition of ionizing-heating radiation and CO2 Composite Spray flowing against the substrate surface, and to form and remove a reacted portion of the substrate surface; and the at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation is Blown Ion Plasma or Corona Plasma.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the CO2 Composite Spray is a composition of solid phase carbon dioxide particles, having variable particle size and concentration, entrained in a temperature-controlled, pressure-controlled, and flow-controlled propellant comprising a clean inert gas.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said at least one source of ionizing-heating radiation is a UV Laser, NIR Laser, IR Laser, RF Ablation, Pulsed UV Light, IR Light, Excimer Laser, Semiconductor Laser, Diode Laser, Fiber Laser, Nd:YAG Laser, and CO2 Laser.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate surfaces comprise polymers, fibers, plastics, glass, composites, metals, ceramics, polyester, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyureaurethane, polysulfone, thiourea, titanium, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone, polypropylene and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the CO2 Composite Spray controls surface temperature by impinging a composition of CO2 solid particles and particle sizes entrained in the temperature-regulated and pressure-regulated propellant gas against said same surface portion.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the propellant comprises air, nitrogen, oxygen, ozonated air, carbon dioxide, argon, or helium gas.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the CO2 Composite Spray contains additives comprising silanes, siloxanes, fluorinates, amines or ozone, which provide beneficial surface chemistry during surface plasma reactions.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the simultaneous ablation and functionalization is between 0.1 mm/sec and 300 mm/sec.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the simultaneous ablation and functionalization is between 10 mm/sec and 200 mm/sec.