In inkjet printing and industrial applications, surface treatment is a crucial step to ensure effective adhesion of materials. Corona treatment, plasma treatment, and flame treatment are three common surface treatment technologies, each with distinct characteristics and applications. This article provides an in-depth comparison of these three technologies to help you make an informed decision when selecting a surface treatment method.
Corona treatment is a technique that uses high-frequency electrical currents to create corona discharge on the surface of materials. It is primarily used to increase the surface energy of materials and enhance the adhesion of inks or coatings.
High Energy Boost: Corona treatment significantly increases the surface energy of materials, making it easier for inks to adhere.
Rapid Processing: The treatment is fast and suitable for large-scale production.
Cost-Effective: The equipment cost is relatively low, and operational maintenance costs are minimal.
Corona treatment is widely used on plastic films, paper, and metal foils, particularly for packaging materials and label printing.
Corona treatment uses high-frequency, high-voltage electrical currents to generate corona discharge on the material`s surface. When high-voltage electricity passes through electrodes, a strong electric field forms between the electrodes and the material`s surface, ionizing the air molecules and creating plasma. This plasma interacts with the material’s surface, disrupting its molecular structure, increasing surface energy, and thereby improving the adhesion of inks or coatings.
Plasma treatment is a technique that uses low-temperature plasma to modify the surface of materials, effectively removing surface contaminants and altering the chemical structure to improve adhesion.
Effective Cleaning: It thoroughly removes surface contaminants like oils and dust.
Chemical Modification: Alters the chemical properties of the surface, enhancing ink adhesion.
Eco-Friendly: No chemical solvents are used, making it environmentally friendly.
Plasma treatment is suitable for a variety of materials, including plastics, metals, glass, and ceramics. Common applications include surface treatment of electronic product housings, automotive parts, and medical devices.
Plasma treatment uses low-temperature plasma (also known as cold plasma) for surface modification. When gas is subjected to a high-voltage electric field in a low-pressure environment, the gas molecules are excited to form plasma. These active particles interact with the material’s surface, removing organic contaminants and changing the surface’s chemical properties by adding polar functional groups, thereby increasing adhesion and surface energy.
Flame treatment is a technique that uses high-temperature flames to modify the surface of materials, primarily to increase surface energy and improve adhesion.
High-Temperature Rapid Modification: Flame treatment quickly increases the surface energy of materials.
Deep Modification: Penetrates the surface layer, providing a more stable modification effect.
Flexibility: Suitable for a variety of materials and shapes.
Flame treatment is mainly used for plastics that are difficult to adhere to, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Common applications include bottles, pipes, and other plastic containers.
Flame treatment uses high-temperature flames to modify the surface of materials. When the material’s surface passes through the flame, the high-energy molecules in the flame interact with the surface, disrupting its molecular structure, removing contaminants, and adding polar functional groups to the surface. This increases the surface energy, making it easier for inks or coatings to adhere.
Feature | Corona Treatment | Plasma Treatment | Flame Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing Speed | Fast processing, suitable for large-scale production, but shallower modification | Medium speed, deeper modification, suitable for high-demand applications | Fast processing, deep modification, suitable for large areas and irregular shapes |
| Material Applicability | Suitable for most plastic films and paper, limited effect on metals and glass | Wide applicability, including plastics, metals, glass, and ceramics | Primarily used for difficult-to-adhere plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene |
| Environmental Impact | Low pollution, minimal environmental impact | Eco-friendly, no chemical solvents used | High energy consumption, no chemical pollution |
| Cost Considerations | Low equipment cost, low operational maintenance costs | Higher equipment cost, lower long-term operational costs | Moderate initial equipment cost, but high energy consumption |
| Modification Depth | Shallower surface modification | Deeper modification | Deeper modification |
| Application Range | Mainly for plastic films and paper | Suitable for various materials | Suitable for various difficult-to-adhere plastics |
| Operational Difficulty | Simple operation, easy to control | Requires specialized technical operation, complex control | Relatively simple operation, but requires safety considerations |
In inkjet printing and industrial manufacturing, surface treatment is not merely a choice of equipment or materials—it is a critical upstream process strategy. Proper surface treatment effectively increases surface energy, improves ink wettability, and significantly reduces risks such as poor adhesion, ink dropout, and inconsistent print quality.
Whether corona treatment, plasma treatment, or flame treatment is applied, the core objective remains the same: to establish a stable and repeatable surface condition that ensures downstream printing or coating processes operate within controlled parameters. Each technology offers distinct advantages in treatment depth, material compatibility, process flexibility, and energy consumption, and should be evaluated based on specific application requirements, production conditions, and quality standards.
When implementing surface treatment in real-world production, a holistic evaluation is recommended across the following dimensions:
Material characteristics: substrate type, surface polarity, and thermal resistance
Process requirements: line speed, treatment area, and geometric complexity
Quality standards: adhesion stability, long-term durability, and consistency
Operational considerations: equipment investment, energy consumption, and maintenance feasibility
Through systematic comparison and validation testing, organizations can identify the surface treatment approach best aligned with their application scenarios, avoiding the hidden costs associated with over-treatment or insufficient treatment.
