Preliminary Study on Applications of an Atmospheric-Pressure Argon Plasma Discharge With a Single-Electrode Configuration

An atmospheric-pressure (AP) argon plasma discharge generated in a single-electrode configuration with the power supply operating at a frequency of 45 kHz is employed to perform some applications, such as the treatment of the interior surface of a medical infusion tube, hydrophilic modification of insulator surface, hardening of metal surface, and acidification treatment of water. It is shown that the active gases ( $hbox{O}_{2}$ and $hbox{N}_{2}$) mixed in a carrier gas (Ar) play a significant role in carrying out such applications. A preliminary study on its applications is presented to demonstrate the promising potential of AP single-electrode-configuration plasma jet.