Flame treatment

Flame treatment is the application of a gas flame to the surface of a material to improve
adhesion.[1][2]

Polyolefins, especially polyethylene and polypropylene bond poorly, because they consist of
long non-polar molecules. Without special treatment, adhesives, ink, and other coatings
cannot be applied to these materials. By rapidly applying intense heat to a surface, molecular
chains are broken and polar functional groups are added. Flame treatment also burns off
dust, fibers, oils, and other surface contaminants.

Flame treatment is faster than corona treatment, but requires more complicated and
expensive equipment.

Contents
Process
See also
References
External links

Process
Fuel gas is pre-mixed with air, and the resulting flame is
directed at the surface to be treated. The flame has a light
blue inner cone, called primary, and a dull blue outer cone,
called secondary. The hottest part of the flame is the
primary, which may be up to 1800 °C. The tip of the inner
cone (primary) contains an assortment of highly reactive
chemicals, including unburned oxygen, carbon dioxide,
water vapor, and free radicals atomic oxygen (O1) and
hydroxyl (OH).

To treat a surface quickly and evenly, many gas jets, similar

to the one on the right, are lined up in a long row on a single
burner. The material being treated is quickly passed directly
in front of or under the inner cones. The surface is in contact
with the flame for less than a second. The surface is treated
quickly, without time for the material to melt.

The reactive chemical species in the gas flame break the

long-chain molecules in the plastic material, and attach
themselves to the break points, resulting in polar point
Flame from fuel premixed with air
charges on the surface. On a microscopic scale, the surface
also becomes rougher.[3]

See also
 Chemistry of pressure-sensitive adhesives
Plasma activation
Corona treatment
Polymeric surface
Stone flaming
Surface finishing

References
1. "Aerogen flame treatment improves surface adhesion". Materials Today.
2. Farris, Stefano; Pozzoli, Simone; Biagioni, Paolo; Duó, Lamberto; Mancinelli, Stefano; Piergiovanni,
Luciano (2010). "The fundamentals of flame treatment for the surface activation of polyolefin
polymers – A review" (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2010.05.036). Polymer. 51 (16): 3591–
3605. doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2010.05.036 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.polymer.2010.05.036).
ISSN 0032-3861 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0032-3861).
3. "The principle of flame treatment" (http://www.arcotec.com/en/Flamme.htm). Arcotec GmbH.
Retrieved September 10, 2016.

External links
Comparing Flame, Plasma, and Corona Treatments (http://www.pillartech.com/Surface-Treatmen
t/In-The-News/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/35/Flame-Plasma-or-Corona-Treatment-whats-rig
ht-for-you)

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This page was last edited on 10 April 2020, at 20:18 (UTC).

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