Flame Plasma Surface Treatment
Flame Plasma Surface Treatment – Advanced Surface Activation for Plastics, Metals, and Glass
Adhesion promotion via flame plasma surface treatment is essential for ensuring strong, reliable bonding between materials and coatings, adhesives, or inks.
Many materials—especially plastics, metals, and glass—have low surface energy or chemical resistance that makes adhesion difficult.
Flame Plasma treatment is a proven method that modifies surface properties to improve bonding without damaging the underlying material.
By exposing a surface to a controlled gas flame, this process alters its chemical structure—either by increasing surface energy (plastics), promoting oxide formation (metals), or breaking organic barriers (glass). This results in superior adhesion for printing, painting, coating, and bonding applications across multiple industries.
Flame Plasma Surface Treatment for Plastics
Plastics like polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and other low-energy polymers naturally resist bonding. Flame Plasma Surface Treatment improves adhesion by introducing chemically reactive functional groups onto the surface, increasing the surface energy (Dyne level). This allows adhesives, inks, and coatings to form stronger, more durable bonds.
How It Works
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• The flame generates a high-energy plasma that contains free radicals.​
• These radicals break molecular bonds on the plastic surface and introduce oxygen-containing groups.​
• This chemical change increases the plastic’s affinity for adhesives, paints, and coatings.
Key Benefits for Plastics
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• Enhanced adhesion for inks, coatings, and adhesives.​
• Fast and efficient process suitable for automated production lines.​
• Non-damaging—modifies only the surface while maintaining material integrity.​
• Eco-friendly, requiring no solvents or chemical primers.
Flame treatment is widely used in automotive plastics, packaging, and industrial applications. Our robot-mounted D6 burner system provides a highly controlled treatment process for consistent, repeatable results. We're happy to assist with your application. Request a technical Proposal today.
Flame Treatment for Metals
Metals, such as aluminium and stainless steel, often require surface activation before bonding, painting, or coating. Flame treatment oxidises the surface, removes organic contaminants, and enhances wetting properties, leading to stronger adhesion.
Key Benefits for Metals
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• Removes oils and surface contaminants without harsh chemicals.​
• Creates a thin, controlled oxide layer to improve paint and adhesive bonding.​
• Reduces defects in coatings and surface finishes.
This method is commonly used in automotive, aerospace, and industrial metal fabrication, ensuring stronger coatings and better corrosion resistance.
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For more information about flame treatment of metals, visit our main flame treatment page.
Flame Treatment for Glass
Glass surfaces are naturally smooth and chemically resistant, making adhesion a challenge. Flame treatment modifies the glass surface to increase wettability, allowing coatings, paints, and adhesives to bond more effectively.
Key Benefits for Glass
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• Removes residues and organic barriers for better adhesion.​
• Slightly modifies the surface chemistry without affecting transparency.​
• Enables stronger printing and coating durability.
Flame treatment is widely used in architectural glass, automotive glazing, decorative glass printing, and soft drink bottle treatment for labelling and direct printing.​​​
​See our Flame Treatment for Glass main page for more information.
​For wide width applications, including for web processing, our typical burner system is the TRI Flame burner.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is flame plasma surface treatment?
Flame plasma surface treatment is a process that uses controlled combustion to activate the surface of materials like plastics, films, and metals. This increases surface energy and improves adhesion for printing, bonding, or coating applications.
Which materials are compatible with flame plasma treatment?
Common materials include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), PET films, PTFE, aluminium foil, copper foil, and coated paperboard. The process is ideal for both high and low surface energy substrates.
How does flame plasma treatment differ from corona or atmospheric plasma?
Flame plasma delivers more thermal and chemical energy, making it suitable for thicker or chemically inert materials. It achieves deeper activation and greater bond strength compared to corona or low-temperature plasma, which are more suited to thinner films.
Is the process safe for sensitive or heat-sensitive materials?
Yes. With the right burner system—such as our TRI Flame burner—flame plasma treatment can be finely controlled to treat even delicate substrates without deformation or damage.
Can the system be integrated into high-speed production lines?
Absolutely. Flame plasma treatment is ideal for high-speed converting, extrusion coating, and packaging lines, offering reliable surface activation at speeds over 400 m/min.
What are the typical applications of this process?
Applications include flame treatment of automotive plastics, aluminium foil for packaging, BOPP film prior to lamination, coated paperboard, and even glass components in the electronics and battery industries.