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Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology
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Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 36755

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bogdan-George Rusu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: surface characterization; plasma deposition; atmospheric pressure plasmas; plasma diagnosis; atmospheric pressure plasma surface interactions; laser ablation; plasma agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, various plasma sources, especially at atmospheric pressure, have been developed for different application such as the food industry, the textile industry, related environmental fields, and medical and agricultural applications. Due to the free electric charge particles that form, the plasma has a huge advantage in modifying surfaces at the nanometer level. Plasma treatment of the polymer surfaces can cause an increase in polar functional groups by breaking the polymeric chains, leading to the formation of free radicals which can react with the gases supplied to the plasma chamber. If, in addition to the working gas, other reactive gases or monomer groups are used, the surface changes can lead to the desired applications.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma can activate the vitality of seeds without causing gene mutations and also improve the growth and yield of plants. Associated with the promotion of growth, the plants also present resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, which is particularly important in their development. Applications of plasma physics technology in agriculture are increasingly popular, and cold plasma seed treatment is a modern eco-agricultural technology that has been suggested to stimulate plant growth. In medicine, some sources are already applied for the inactivation and sterilization of microorganisms.

As Guest Editors of this Special Issue of Applied Sciences, “Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology”, authors are invited to submit original research contributions dealing with atmospheric-pressure plasma. The topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: plasma diagnostics, plasma material processing, plasma agriculture, plasma medicine, nanomaterials, plasma polymerization, simulation of atmospheric-pressure plasma phenomena.

Dr. Bogdan-George Rusu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plasma diagnostics
  • plasma material processing
  • plasma agriculture
  • plasma medicine
  • nanomaterials
  • plasma polymerization
  • simulation of atmospheric-pressure plasma phenomena

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 187 KiB  
Editorial
Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology
by Bogdan-George Rusu
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10847; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110847 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1171
Abstract
In recent years, plasma technology has presented an alternative in the processing and development of new materials [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)

Research

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16 pages, 5857 KiB  
Article
Combined Image Processing and Equivalent Circuit Approach for the Diagnostic of Atmospheric Pressure DBD
by Vanesa Rueda, Rafael Diez, Nicolas Bente and Hubert Piquet
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 8009; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168009 - 10 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1351
Abstract
The framework of this paper is the study of gas treatments (NOx abatement) by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure. To investigate the impact of various solutions for electrical energy injection on the treatment process, two diagnostic methods are considered to evaluate [...] Read more.
The framework of this paper is the study of gas treatments (NOx abatement) by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure. To investigate the impact of various solutions for electrical energy injection on the treatment process, two diagnostic methods are considered to evaluate the discharging ratio on the reactor surface: an image processing method and a DBD equivalent circuit analysis, both presented in this paper. For the image analysis, the discharge area is first translated into gray levels, then segmented using the Otsu’s method in order to perform the discharging ratio diagnostic. The equivalent circuit approach, derived from the classical Manley’s diagram analysis, includes the behavior of the part of the reactor in which no discharge is happening. The identification of its parameters is used to estimate the discharging ratio, which evaluates the percentage of the reactor surface covered by the discharge. Experimental results with specifically developed power supplies are presented: they show a good agreement between the two methods. To allow a quantitative comparison of the discharge uniformity according to the operating conditions, the statistical analysis of gray level distribution is performed: non-uniform discharges with intense energy channels are shown to be clearly distinguished from more diffuse ones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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19 pages, 3443 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Wheat Flour and Dough Properties by Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment of Wheat Flour
by Muhammad Jehanzaib Khan, Vojislav Jovicic, Ana Zbogar-Rasic and Antonio Delgado
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 7997; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12167997 - 10 Aug 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1808
Abstract
Demand to improve food quality attributes without the use of chemicals has risen exponentially in the past few years. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) (also called ‘cold plasma’) is becoming increasingly popular for this purpose due to its unique low-temperature and non-chemical nature. In the [...] Read more.
Demand to improve food quality attributes without the use of chemicals has risen exponentially in the past few years. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) (also called ‘cold plasma’) is becoming increasingly popular for this purpose due to its unique low-temperature and non-chemical nature. In the present research, the concept of in situ dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment inside a rotational reactor for the direct treatment of wheat flour was experimentally analyzed. The primary research goal was to determine the effects of short-period NTP treatment of DBD type on flour and dough properties. For this purpose, the influence of different operating parameters was tested, i.e., treatment time, the amount of flour placed in the reactor and the environmental (air) temperature. Changes in the structural attributes of the most commonly used flours (type 550 and 1050) and their respective doughs were studied using a set of analytical techniques. Rheological analysis demonstrated the ability of NTP to significantly intensify the visco-elastic properties of dough produced from wheat flour type 550 that was treated for less than 180 s. This indicated that plasma treatment enhanced intermolecular disulphide bonds in gluten proteins, which resulted in stronger protein–starch network formations. However, longer treatment times did not result in a significant increase in the visco-elastic properties of wheat dough. The obtained results showed a 6–7% increase in flour hydration due to NTP treatment, which also makes a contribution to hydrogen bonding due to changes in the bonded and free water phase. Experimental findings further confirmed the dependence of NTP treatment efficiency on environmental air temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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13 pages, 8201 KiB  
Article
SDBD Flexible Plasma Actuator with Ag-Ink Electrodes: Experimental Assessment
by Viktoras Papadimas, Christos Doudesis, Panagiotis Svarnas, Polycarpos K. Papadopoulos, George P. Vafakos and Panayiotis Vafeas
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11930; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411930 - 15 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2722
Abstract
In the present work, a single dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD)-based actuator is developed and experimentally tested by means of various diagnostic techniques. Flexible dielectric barriers and conductive paint electrodes are used, making the design concept applicable to surfaces of different aerodynamic profiles. A [...] Read more.
In the present work, a single dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD)-based actuator is developed and experimentally tested by means of various diagnostic techniques. Flexible dielectric barriers and conductive paint electrodes are used, making the design concept applicable to surfaces of different aerodynamic profiles. A technical drawing of the actuator is given in detail. The plasma is sustained by audio frequency sinusoidal high voltage, while it is probed electrically and optically. The consumed electric power is measured, and the optical emission spectrum is recorded in the ultraviolet–near infrared (UV–NIR) range. High-resolution spectroscopy provides molecular rotational distributions, which are treated appropriately to evaluate the gas temperature. The plasma-induced flow field is spatiotemporally surveyed with pitot-like tube and schlieren imaging. Briefly, the actuator consumes a mean power less than 10 W and shows a fair stability over one day, the average temperature of the gas above its surface is close to 400 K, and the fluid speed rises to 4.5 m s−1. A long, thin layer (less than 1.5 mm) of laminar flow is unveiled on the actuator surface. This thin layer is interfaced with an outspread turbulent flow field, which occupies a centimeter-scale area. Molecular nitrogen-positive ions appear to be part of the charged heavy species in the generated filamentary discharge, which can transfer energy and momentum to the surrounding air molecules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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9 pages, 2357 KiB  
Article
Plasma Gas Temperature Control Performance of Metal 3D-Printed Multi-Gas Temperature-Controllable Plasma Jet
by Yuma Suenaga, Toshihiro Takamatsu, Toshiki Aizawa, Shohei Moriya, Yuriko Matsumura, Atsuo Iwasawa and Akitoshi Okino
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11686; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411686 - 09 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1997
Abstract
The aim of the study was to design and build a multi-gas temperature-controllable plasma jet that can control the gas temperature of plasmas with various gas species, and evaluated its temperature control performance. In this device, a fluid at an arbitrary controlled temperature [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to design and build a multi-gas temperature-controllable plasma jet that can control the gas temperature of plasmas with various gas species, and evaluated its temperature control performance. In this device, a fluid at an arbitrary controlled temperature is circulated through the plasma jet body. The gas exchanges heat with the plasma jet body to control the plasma temperature. Based on this concept, a complex-shaped plasma jet with two channels in the plasma jet body, a temperature control fluid (TCF) channel, and a gas channel was designed. The temperature control performance of nitrogen gas was evaluated using computational fluid dynamics analysis, which found that the gas temperature changed proportionally to the TCF temperature. The designed plasma jet body was fabricated using metal 3D-printer technology. Using the fabricated plasma jet body, stable plasmas of argon, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen were generated. By varying the plasma jet body temperature from −30 °C to 90 °C, the gas temperature was successfully controlled linearly in the range of 29–85 °C for all plasma gas species. This is expected to further expand the range of applications of atmospheric low temperature plasma and to improve the plasma treatment effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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10 pages, 1528 KiB  
Article
Influence of Controlling Plasma Gas Species and Temperature on Reactive Species and Bactericidal Effect of the Plasma
by Yuma Suenaga, Toshihiro Takamatsu, Toshiki Aizawa, Shohei Moriya, Yuriko Matsumura, Atsuo Iwasawa and Akitoshi Okino
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11674; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411674 - 09 Dec 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2368
Abstract
In this study, plasma gas species and temperature were varied to evaluate the reactive species produced and the bactericidal effect of plasma. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and argon were used as the gas species, and the gas temperature of each plasma was varied [...] Read more.
In this study, plasma gas species and temperature were varied to evaluate the reactive species produced and the bactericidal effect of plasma. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and argon were used as the gas species, and the gas temperature of each plasma was varied from 30 to 90 °C. Singlet oxygen, OH radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone generated by the plasma were trapped in a liquid, and then measured. Nitrogen plasma produced up to 172 µM of the OH radical, which was higher than that of the other plasmas. In carbon dioxide plasma, the concentration of singlet oxygen increased from 77 to 812 µM, as the plasma gas temperature increased from 30 to 90 °C. The bactericidal effect of carbon dioxide and nitrogen plasma was evaluated using bactericidal ability, which indicated the log reduction per minute. In carbon dioxide plasma, the bactericidal ability increased from 5.6 to 38.8, as the temperature of the plasma gas increased from 30 to 90 °C. Conversely, nitrogen plasma did not exhibit a high bactericidal effect. These results demonstrate that the plasma gas type and temperature have a significant influence on the reactive species produced and the bactericidal effect of plasma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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18 pages, 4462 KiB  
Article
Modelling of a Non-Transferred Plasma Torch Used for Nano-Silica Powders Production
by Ibrahim A. AlShunaifi, Samira Elaissi, Imed Ghiloufi, Seham S. Alterary and Ahmed A. Alharbi
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 9842; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11219842 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1911
Abstract
In this study, a two-dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate operation conditions in the non-transferred plasma torch, used to synthesis nanosilica powder. The turbulent magnetohydrodynamic model was presented to predict the nitrogen plasma flow and heat transfer characteristics inside and outside the [...] Read more.
In this study, a two-dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate operation conditions in the non-transferred plasma torch, used to synthesis nanosilica powder. The turbulent magnetohydrodynamic model was presented to predict the nitrogen plasma flow and heat transfer characteristics inside and outside the plasma torch. The continuity, momentum, energy, current continuity equations, and the turbulence model were expressed in cylindrical coordinates and numerically solved by COMSOL Multiphysics software with a finite element method. The operation conditions of the mass flow rate of ionized gas ranging from 78 sccm to 240 sccm and the current varying between 50 A to 200 A were systematically analyzed. The variation in the electrothermal efficiency with the gas flow rate, the plasma current, and the enthalpy was also reported. The results revealed that the increase in working current lead to a raise in the effective electric power and then an increase in the distribution of plasma velocity and temperature. The efficiency of the torch was found to be between 36% and 75%. The plasma jet exited the nozzle torch with a larger fast and hot core diameter with increasing current. The numerical results showed good correlation and good trends with the experimental measurement. This study allowed us to obtain more efficient control of the process conditions and a better optimization of this process in terms of the production rate and primary particle size. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the primary nanosilica powder that was experimentally collected. The arc plasma method enabled us to produce a spherical silicon ultra-fine powder of about 20 nm in diameter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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18 pages, 6240 KiB  
Article
Surface Properties of Silica–MWCNTs/PDMS Composite Coatings Deposited on Plasma Activated Glass Supports
by Michał Chodkowski, Iryna Ya. Sulym, Konrad Terpiłowski and Dariusz Sternik
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9256; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199256 - 05 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1608
Abstract
In this paper, we focus on fabrication and physicochemical properties investigations of silica–multiwalled carbon nanotubes/poly(dimethylsiloxane) composite coatings deposited on the glass supports activated by cold plasma. Air or argon was used as the carrier gas in the plasma process. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were [...] Read more.
In this paper, we focus on fabrication and physicochemical properties investigations of silica–multiwalled carbon nanotubes/poly(dimethylsiloxane) composite coatings deposited on the glass supports activated by cold plasma. Air or argon was used as the carrier gas in the plasma process. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were modified with poly(dimethylsiloxane) in order to impart their hydrophobicity. The silica–multiwalled carbon nanotubes/poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanocomposite was synthesized using the sol–gel technique with acid-assisted tetraethyl orthosilicate hydrolysis. The stability and the zeta potential of the obtained suspension were evaluated. Then, the product was dried and used as a filler in another sol–gel process, which led to the coating application via the dip-coating method. The substrates were exposed to the hexamethyldisilazane vapors in order to improve their hydrophobicity. The obtained surfaces were characterized by the wettability measurements and surface free energy determination as well as optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmittance measurements. In addition, the thermal analyses of the carbon nanotubes as well as coatings were made. It was found that rough and hydrophobic coatings were obtained with a high transmittance in the visible range. They are characterized by the water contact angle larger than 90 degrees and the transmission at the level of 95%. The X-ray diffraction studies as well as scanning electron microscopy images confirmed the chemical and structural compositions of the coatings. They are thermally stable at the temperature up to 250 °C. Moreover, the thermal analysis showed that the obtained composite material has greater thermal resistance than the pure nanotubes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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22 pages, 4893 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Oxygen Admixture with Argon Discharges on the Impact Parameters of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Characteristics
by Atif H. Asghar and Ahmed Rida Galaly
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(15), 6870; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156870 - 26 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2056
Abstract
Dry argon (Ar) discharge and wet oxygen/argon (O2/Ar) admixture discharge for alternating current atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) were studied for Ar discharges with flow rates ranging from 0.2 to 4 slm and for O2/Ar discharges with different O [...] Read more.
Dry argon (Ar) discharge and wet oxygen/argon (O2/Ar) admixture discharge for alternating current atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) were studied for Ar discharges with flow rates ranging from 0.2 to 4 slm and for O2/Ar discharges with different O2 ratios and flow rates ranging from 2.5 to 15 mslm. The voltage–current waveform signals of APPJ discharge, gas flow rate, photo-imaging of the plasma jet length and width, discharge plasma power, axial temperature distribution, optical emission spectra, and irradiance were investigated. Different behavior for varying oxygen content in the admixture discharge was observed. The temperature recognizably decreased, axially, far away from the nozzle of the jet as the flow rate of dry argon decreased. Similar behavior was observed for wet argon but with a lower temperature than for dry argon. The optical emission spectra and the dose rate of irradiance of a plasma jet discharge were investigated as a function of plasma jet length, for dry and wet Ar discharges, to determine the data compatible with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) data for irradiance exposure limits of the skin, which are suitable for the disinfection of microbes on the skin without harmful effects, equivalent to 30 μJ/mm2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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Review

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19 pages, 2446 KiB  
Review
Applications of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology in Medicine, Agriculture and Food Industry
by Mária Domonkos, Petra Tichá, Jan Trejbal and Pavel Demo
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 4809; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114809 - 24 May 2021
Cited by 103 | Viewed by 17860
Abstract
In recent years, cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) technology has received substantial attention due to its valuable properties including operational simplicity, low running cost, and environmental friendliness. Several different gases (air, nitrogen, helium, argon) and techniques (corona discharge, dielectric barrier discharge, plasma jet) [...] Read more.
In recent years, cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) technology has received substantial attention due to its valuable properties including operational simplicity, low running cost, and environmental friendliness. Several different gases (air, nitrogen, helium, argon) and techniques (corona discharge, dielectric barrier discharge, plasma jet) can be used to generate plasma at atmospheric pressure and low temperature. Plasma treatment is routinely used in materials science to modify the surface properties (e.g., wettability, chemical composition, adhesion) of a wide range of materials (e.g., polymers, textiles, metals, glasses). Moreover, CAPP seems to be a powerful tool for the inactivation of various pathogens (e.g., bacteria, fungi, viruses) in the food industry (e.g., food and packing material decontamination, shelf life extension), agriculture (e.g., disinfection of seeds, fertilizer, water, soil) and medicine (e.g., sterilization of medical equipment, implants). Plasma medicine also holds great promise for direct therapeutic treatments in dentistry (tooth bleaching), dermatology (atopic eczema, wound healing) and oncology (melanoma, glioblastoma). Overall, CAPP technology is an innovative, powerful and effective tool offering a broad application potential. However, its limitations and negative impacts need to be determined in order to receive regulatory approval and consumer acceptance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Technology)
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