(Invited) Tailor-Made Atmospheric Plasma Solutions: From Idea to Industrial Lines

Abstract

Atmospheric pressure (AP) cold plasmas have been steadily gaining importance over the last 20 years. It is often stated that AP processes reduce costs by obviating the need for expensive vacuum systems, and are much easier to implement in industrial production lines. However, every industrial process comes with its own lot of challenges that must be addressed before a viable, robust plasma solution can be put in place.Tackling these challenges is precisely the primary objective of our company, Molecular Plasma Group (MPG). Created as a spin-off from VITO (Belgium) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) to commercialize a unique nano-coating technology using cold atmospheric plasma, MPG SA was established in 2016. Today, our ambition is to be a global Key Enabling Technology (KET) platform, providing scalable environmentally-friendly atmospheric pressure plasma solutions for industries, research and technology organizations, and academia.In this presentation, we will offer an overview of our efforts in the promotion of AP cold plasma technology to the industrial world. From an engineering point of view, we will discuss various topics such as the design of industrially-viable plasma heads, solutions for fiber and powder treatment, roll-to-roll processes, nozzle design (including modeling), dynamic process control. On the scientific side, we will cover aspects such as the benefits of precursor atomization, types of chemistries and substrates that can be processed, along with a few examples of practical applications of adhesion-promoting, release, bioactive, as well as anti-biofouling coatings.Finally, we will present our very recent “success story”, initiated in the frame of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the idea to the installation of industrial machines at customers, we have designed an AP cold plasma process to deposit ultra-thin virucidal coatings that greatly enhance safety, performance, and possibly lifetime of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks. This way, PPE does not act only as a simple “mechanical barrier” to pathogen agents but can effectively prevent cross-contamination and the spread of pathogens. The additional functional layer offers active, fast disinfection properties while being harmless to the user. Figure 1