Deposition of Anti-corrosion Coatings by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

Abstract

An atmospheric-pressure, non-equilibrium plasma jet is currently under investigation at Chalk River Laboratories for the application of anti-corrosion coatings. This device produces concentrations of chemically-active species, similar to those observed in low-pressure plasma deposition systems, with the advantage of operating in an ambient pressure atmosphere. This paper describes measurements of the properties of a bench-scale plasma jet operating in etch and deposition mode. The jet effluent was characterized by various methods, including optical emission spectroscopy. Films deposited on metallic and insulating substrates have been characterized by optical microscopy and surface analytical techniques. The potential for scaleup of this process to treatment of reactor components is discussed.