Long-distance oxygen plasma sterilization: Effects and mechanisms

The distribution of electrons, ions and oxygen radicals in long-distance oxygen plasma and the germicidal effect (GE) of Escherichia coli on the surface of medical poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film were studied. The quantity of protein leakage and the production of lipid peroxide in bacterial suspension as well as the state of DNA were measured after sterilization to analyse the inactivation mechanisms. The results showed that the concentration of electrons and ions decreased rapidly with increasing the distance from the center of induction coil, which approximated to 0 at 30 cm, whereas the concentration of oxygen radicals reduced slowly, i.e. decreased 30% within 40 cm. GE value reached 3.42 in the active discharge zone (0 cm) and exceeded 3.32 within 40 cm when plasma treatment parameters were set as follows: plasma rf power at 100 W, treatment time at 60 s and oxygen flux at 40 cm³/min. Fast etching action on cell membrane by electrons, ions and attacking polyunsaturation fatty acid (PUFA) in cell membrane by oxygen radicals are primary reasons of oxygen plasma sterilization in the active discharge and the afterglow zone, respectively. The GE of UV radiation in long-distance oxygen plasma is feebleness.     

Density effects on the spectral emission of a high temperature argon plasma

In order to explain the detailed features of radiation spectra obtained from dense argon plasmas, an ionization-radiation model for argon has been constructed which calculates time-integrated spectra as a function of plasma temperature, density and size. The model describes a plasma in collisional-radiative equilibrium (CRE) by solving the time-dependent atomic rate equations for ground state and selected excited state populations of argon coupled with a probability-of-escape radiation transport scheme for both bound-bound and bound-free photons. Results are presented which illustrate basic changes in the X-ray spectra of an argon plasma as density is increased, in particular, relative intensities of resonance, satellite and intercombination lines as well as the free-bound continuum. In addition, temperature and density profiles from 1-D MHD calculations characterizing the peak emission from argon puffed-gas plasmas (≈10¹⁹ions/cm³) and argon-seeded laser-imploded microballons (?10²²ions/cm³) are post-processed using the model and the resulting spectra are discussed.     

应用高温计测量氩等离子体温度

应用多通道辐射高温计测量了冲击产生的氩等离子体的温度,并与理论计算结果进行了比较.测量结果与Saha方程加Debye-Huckel修正模型的计算结果符合较好.     

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设计建立了同轴圆柱介质阻挡放电线状射流装置,并利用其实现了宽度为50mm的大尺度线状射流,并对射流长度随放电参数的变化进行了研究.研究发现,随气压、流量的增加,射流长度呈先增加后达到饱和;随激励电压的增加,射流长度增加.对氮气射流等离子体进行发射光谱诊断,表明氮气等离子体中主要是氮分子和少量氮原子,并利用光谱拟合得出射流的温度范围为290～350K.     

我国低温等离子体研究进展(Ⅱ)

低温等离子体物理与技术的研究在国内受到了越来越多的重视.在等离子体中发现的一些有趣的物理现象,如磁场重联、尘埃等离子体等,使人们对等离子体物理的研究掀起了新的热潮.在应用方面,几乎所有理工类实验室都有涉及低温等离子体技术的实验装置,这使得在我国低温等离子体应用方面的研究非常普及,包括微电子工业中的等离子体工艺,各种坚硬、耐腐蚀、耐摩擦材料的制备,纳米材料的制备,聚合物以及生物材料的表面改性,等等.随着低温等离子体技术的发展,低温等离子体的诊断技术也随之发展起来.文章简要地介绍了近几年来低温等离子体研究在我国的发展,介绍了一些有关低温等离子体的热点研究课题.     

Electron temperature measurement in a surface-wave-produced argon plasma at intermediate pressures

The main objective of this work is to obtain the electron temperature in an argon surface-wave-produced plasma column at intermediate gas pressures. After proving that argon upper excited states remain in Excitation Saturation Balance, the value of electron temperature along the plasma column has been obtained using a modified Saha equation and a corrected Boltzmann-plot. Moreover, the electron energy distribution function has been verified to be nearly Maxwellian in a 0.8-2.8 torr intermediate pressure range. Received 24 July 2000 and Received in final form 19 January 2001     

Ar流速对多级弧放电装置中Ar等离子特性的影响

采用PLASIMO程序模拟了入口处Ar流速对多级弧放电产生的非热平衡Ar等离子体特性的影响。模拟结果发现：从入口处到出口处,沿中心轴线,压强逐渐降低,电子平均能量基本保持不变。当流速一定时,从器壁到中心轴线处,电子数密度呈增大趋势;从入口处到出口处,电子数密度呈先增大后减小的趋势;当流速分别为50,100,150和200 cm3/s时,电子数密度最大值分别为10.131021,16.311021,18.981021和26.331021 m-3;随着流速的增大,其电子数密度逐渐增大。当流速一定时,从器壁到中心轴线处,电子温度逐渐增大;从入口处到出口处,电子温度呈先增大后减小再增大的趋势,并在中心轴线处距入口55～60 mm有最大值,当流速分别为50,100,150和200 cm3/s时,其最大值分别为1.299,1.234,1.157和1.132 eV;由于入口处和器壁处的电子温度都为0.517 eV,所以随着Ar流速的增大,其电子温度逐渐减小。当Ar流速一定时,从器壁到中心轴线处,离子温度逐渐增大;从入口处到出口处,离子温度呈先增大后减小的趋势,并且在中心轴线距入口20～30 mm离子温度取得最大值,当流速分别为50,100,150和200 cm3/s时,离子温度最大值分别为0.815 6,0.907 02,0.975 2和1.014 eV。随入口处流速的增大,电弧腔体内的离子温度逐渐增大。     

氩气感应耦合等离子体速度与温度数值模拟

为了获得用于研究再入飞行器热防护系统的感应耦合等离子体风洞流场数据,基于流场、电磁场和化学场的多场耦合建立了非平衡态感应耦合等离子体数值模型。利用该模型对不同入口质量流率和不同工作压力下的感应耦合等离子体进行了数值模拟,得到了相应工作参数下感应耦合等离子体温度与速度的分布特性。计算结果表明:等离子体中心线上的速度随着入口质量流率的增大而增大,而随着工作压力的增大而减小;同时,等离子体中心线上的温度随着入口质量流率的增大而减小,而随着压力的增大先减小后增大。这些结果可为感应耦合等离子体风洞优化设计及其工业应用提供理论指导。     

Growth of thin silver films on silicon oxide pretreated by low temperature argon plasma

In the present study, we investigate the influence of low energy ion bombardment on nucleation and growth of thin silver films on silicon oxide by in situ photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) combined with specific resistivity measurements. Thermally grown thin silicon oxide films were exposed to a low temperature argon plasma for different time intervals resulting in changes in surface chemical composition as monitored by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). We demonstrate that irradiation of the oxide surface with low energy ions results in substantially changed nucleation of silver. Furthermore, silver films deposited on plasma treated oxide tend to have lower resistivity which is attributed to the effect of reduced grain boundary and surface roughness.     

大气压射流等离子体放电特性及其灭菌效果

介绍了一种同轴电极的射流等离子体发生装置,可以直接在大气中将生成的氦气辉光放电射流等离子体喷出进行杀菌消毒,无需反应容器和真空系统,并从电压、频率、流速等方面讨论了该同轴等离子体发生器的放电特性。在稳定的放电条件下,利用实验装置进行了大气压下的等离子体灭菌实验,验证了本装置在等离子体灭菌应用上的可行性和易操作性。灭菌结果表明：在最初的2 min内,细菌减小趋势明显,3 min后细菌几乎全部消亡。     

Acoustic impact on superluminescence in argon plasma

It is shown that in an argon discharge plasma it is possible to obtain the overpopulation of certain electronic levels of atomic argon under the influence of acoustic waves. When the specified threshold is passed, superluminescence (in the form of light flashes) from the overpopulated electronic levels of atomic argon is observed.     

Number density and temperature measurements obtained using sensitive diode laser spectroscopy in an argon plasma

The absolute concentration and translational temperature of the 2p₁₀ and 2p₇ excited states of argon have been measured in an inductively coupled plasma chamber under a variety of operating conditions using both calibrated diode laser frequency modulation spectroscopy and cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. Accurate lineshape analysis of frequency modulation signals has been employed to extract the desired information, and is corroborated by cavity enhanced measurements. Temperatures are found to vary linearly with pressure from ∼400 K at 20 mTorr (2.7 Pa) to ∼510 K at 90 mTorr (12 Pa) in a 200 W discharge while concentrations peak at 3.25×10⁸ cm^-3 at 30 mTorr (4 Pa) (also in a 200 W discharge). The uncertainty in the recovered temperature is 7%, dominated by uncertainties in the calibration of the frequency scale. PACS 42.62Fi; 52.70kz     

我国低温等离子体研究进展(Ⅱ)

5低温等离子体应用 随着我国国民经济的发展，低温等离子体的应用获得了越来越多的重视，这从国内越来越多的等离子体实验室的成立，和一些小的实验室扩大成地方的重点实验室可以得到证明．事实上，大多数涉及到材料或物质的理工科实验室都会有一些与低温等离子体有关的装置或研究，无论该实验室是研究物理的、化学的、生物的或各类工程的，毕竟宇宙中99％以上的物质处于等离子体态．下面就我国低温等离子体的应用方面分类举一些例子．     

我国低温等离子体研究进展(Ⅰ)

低温等离子体物理与技术的研究在国内受到了越来越多的重视．在等离子体中发现的一些有趣的物理现象，如磁场重联、尘埃等离子体等，使人们对等离子体物理的研究掀起了新的热潮．在应用方面，几乎所有理工类实验室都有涉及低温等离子体技术的实验装置，这使得在我国低温等离子体应用方面的研究非常普及，包括微电子工业中的等离子体工艺，各种坚硬、耐腐蚀、耐摩擦材料的制备，纳米材料的制备，聚合物以及生物材料的表面改性，等等．随着低温等离子体技术的发展，低温等离子体的诊断技术也随之发展起来．文章简要地介绍了近几年来低温等离子体研究在我国的发展，介绍了一些有关低温等离子体的热点研究课题．     

Numerical studies on velocity, temperature history and heat transfer to the particles injected into the argon plasma

A new approach to study the particle velocity in a thermal plasma in relation to input parameters (power, gas flow rate, injection velocity of the particle and particle size) and nozzle dimensions (nozzle length and diameter) has been made. Injected particle's temperature and thermal history were calculated for particles of three different materials (alumina, tungsten and graphite) in argon plasma. Allowable powder feed rate was calculated for the particles. Heat transfer per particle injected in to the plasma is reported. Liquid fraction of the particle after it reached the melting point is also reported. Particle velocity is found to increase with increase in power, gas flow rate and injection velocity and decrease with increase in particle size, nozzle length and nozzle diameter. Thermal histories of the particles in relation to the plasma temperature and particle diameter are presented. Particle's residence time is found to increase with increase in diameter of the particle. Allowable powder feed rate for complete melting of the particle is higher at higher percentage utilisation of the plasma power. Powder feed rate is seen to decrease with increase in particle size and it is higher for tungsten and lower for graphite particle. Heat transfer rate from plasma to particle is seen to decrease with increase in time and the same is higher for plasmas of higher temperature and smaller sized particle. Received 4 May 2000 and Received in final form 15 March 2001     

Influence of argon plasma treatment on polyethersulphone surface

Polyethersulphone (PES) was modified to improve the hydrophilicity of its surface, which in turn helps in improving its adhesive property. The modified PES surface was characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Vicker’s microhardness measurement. The contact angles of the modified PES reduces from 49° to 10° for water. The surface free energy (SFE) calculated from measured contact angles increases from 66.3 to 79.5 mJ/m² with the increase in plasma treatment time. The increase in SFE after plasma treatment is attributed to the functionalization of the polymer surface with hydrophilic groups. The XPS analysis shows that the ratio of O/C increases from 0.177 to 0.277 for modified PES polymer. AFM shows that the average surface roughness increases from 6.9 nm to 23.7 nm due to the increase in plasma treatment time. The microhardness of the film also increases with plasma treatment.     

Low temperature plasma production of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films

The hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin films were produced by capacitively-coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique at low substrate temperatures (T_s ≈ 40–200 °C). Firstly, for particular growth parameters, the lowest stable T_s was determined to avoid temperature fluctuations during the film deposition. The influence of the T_s on the structural and optical properties of the films was investigated by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV–visible transmittance/reflectance and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopies. Also, the films deposited at the center of the PECVD electrode and those around the edge of the PECVD electrode were compared within each deposition cycle. The XRD and UV–visible reflectance analyses reveal the nanocrystalline phase for the films grown at the edge at all T_s and for the center films only at 200 °C. The crystallinity fraction and lateral dark conductivity decrease with lowered T_s. FTIR analyses were used to track the hydrogen content, void fraction and amorphous matrix volume fraction within the films. The optical constants obtained from the UV–visible transmittance spectroscopy were correlated well with the FTIR results. Finally, the optimal T_s was concluded for the application of the produced nc-Si:H in silicon-based thin film devices on plastic substrates.