Knowledge Articles
Let’s Talk About… Measuring Surface Energy
What is surface energy and why is it important?
In this ‘Let’s talk About…’ article we discuss the measurement of surface energy and ultimately, how plasma treatment can be used to alter surface energy in order to improve adhesion and bonding.
National Graphene Institute (NGI) Research features Henniker HPT-100 Plasma Cleaner
Hybrid molecular/mineral lyotropic liquid crystal systems from Graphene Oxide.
Let’s Talk About… How long plasma treatment lasts?
The most commonly asked question concerning plasma surface treatment is; How long does plasma treatment last?
In this ‘Let’s talk About…’ article we discuss the main factors that influence the lifetime of plasma surface treatments and explain how these factors can affect different materials.
Plasma Treatment in the Automotive Industry
Plasma Treatment in the Automotive Industry
Henniker HPT-100 plasma system to assist with precise patterning of solar cells
Newly published article using the Henniker HPT-100 plasma system to assist with precise patterning of solar cells.
Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia have recently used a Henniker HPT-100 to aid in their efforts to fabricate indium tin oxide (ITO)-free ultra-lightweight organic solar cells through inkjet-printing whilst preserving high efficiencies.
In-situ water layer thickness determination during accelerated corrosion testing
In-situ water layer thickness determination during accelerated corrosion testing
A collaboration of researchers at the University of Virginia, Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, and Tohoku University Japan have recently published a paper that outlines the design, construction, and validation for in-situ water layer thickness determination during accelerated corrosion testing. In this work the Henniker HPT-100 was used to remove hydrocarbon contamination from the surface within the sensor in order to give a uniform for water layer, thereby creating an experimental system geometry that is directly comparable to the modeled geometry thickness determination.
Removal of carbon contamination prior to SEM & EDS measurement
Nano-devitrification and structural evolution of amorphous state in surface Ti-Ta-based alloy fabricated on TiNi substrate through additive thin-film electron-beam synthesis
Henniker’s HPT-100 was used in this work to remove carbon contamination on the sample’s surface before it was characterised by SEM and EDS measurements.
Let’s Talk About… Which vacuum pump should I choose?
Which vacuum pump should I choose?
Henniker Plasma’s range of vacuum plasma treatment systems (HPT and Nebula models) include a suitable vacuum pump which is required for the low pressures needed during plasma operation.
Adhesion and Surface Energy Explained
There are a number of quick and simple tests to determine the effectiveness of a particular plasma process upon a surface.
Adhesion and surface energy test methods have the benefit of being applicable to both untreated and treated surfaces and so also provide a useful comparison before and after processing. Each test is effectively providing information about the surface energy of the material being tested. Before describing the various test methods it is therefore useful to review what we mean by surface energy.
