Study on Particle Surface Modification Using a Spouted Bed Plasma Reactor

Abstract

A spouted bed plasma reactor was developed for the uniform and continuous surface treatment of 3D particles in combination with a spouted fluidized bed and plasma-generating device, and the effect of fluidizing conditions and plasma conditions on the surface reforming of PP particles with the reactor was evaluated based on the measured wettability of the particles before and after the plasma treatment. It was found that the PP particle surfaces are reformed uniformly by using the spouted bed plasma reactor. The fluidizing conditions and plasma conditions variously influenced the particle reforming. The wettability of PP particles improved significantly with better particle circulation in the whole bed and longer treatment time, while the voltage of the plasma did not affect the surface reforming. The improvement in wettability was attributed to the production of C=O functional groups associated with Ar plasma, and the effect of physical structural damage was found to be negligible.