Plasmatreat wants rubber industry to see ‘what is possible'

DUESSELDORF, Germany—Before Plasmatreat GmbH was founded by engineer-by-trade and CEO Christian Buske in 1995, coating a surface by way of plasma was possible only in a vacuum.

Buske changed all of that with his initial work on a car headlamp, pioneering the Openair Plasma technology that now serves as the foundation for a company that has grown to 300 employees and saw sales of $54.6 million in 2021.

"There are so many new possibilities—if the industry is able to understand what is possible," Buske said at an Oct. 20 news conference. "About 67 percent of our turnover is polymer surfaces … so the K show is the most important show for us."

Traffic at the Plasmatreat booth at the plastics and rubber exposition was constant and curious on the second day of the show, as technicians and engineers demonstrated the varying sizes of plasma "guns," essentially different sizes of robotic arms that can treat surfaces of different areas.

The tip of the plasma arm—the nozzle that emits the air or gas that "activates" a surface, enriching it with oxygen and nitrogen groups—actually never touches the surface.

What results, according to Buske, is a surface that has been imparted with different characteristics, depending on what a customer might need.

Plasma treatment can make a surface hydrophilic or hydrophobic; clean the surface and remove contamination; or make the surface conducive for bonding or adhesion increasing the wettability.

It works on polymers, metals, paper and glass, among other substrates, as its high-energy levels alter the particular surface composition through nanocoating.

According to Buske, the fine cleaning of metal and glass, for example, "gently and safely removes dust, grease, release agents and additives," and in the case of polypropylene or polyethylene, increases surface energy through the introduction of hydroxyl groups.

"In both cases, an optimized wettability of the substrate is achieved, and the adhesion ability significantly increased," Buske said.

Bonding, printing, painting or gasketing then can follow with ease of treatment, he said.

End-use applications can be found in technology used in dryers, on windmills as an anti-ice coating or on materials that require an anti-flame coating.

"With Openair Plasma, you have the opportunity to use cheaper materials once the particular surface is treated," said Lukas Buske, Christian's son and head of plasma applications at Plasmatreat. "It's also good for large areas that require treatment typically on areas where an adhesive will be dispensed."

Partnerships for Plasmatreat are essential, the CEO said, and the growing company has established collaborations with universities around the world for increased studies on the application.

"We understand we are a bridge to science labs and other industries, between history and the future," Christian Buske said.

And he said Plasmatreat is ready for what future breakthroughs may come.

"We are ready for the future. I see the future right in front of me," he said, referring to Lukas and Magnus Buske, as well as the pioneering nature of the company he founded.

And the entire process—save the energy needed to create the plasma—is environmentally friendly, as no CO2 or other greenhouse gases are emitted.

With sustainability at the fore for this year's K show, Plasmatreat fits right in among the plastics machinery makers and processors.

"All you need is clean, dry air and electricity," Lukas Buske said. "It works without flammable gas and without CO2 emissions."

Magnus Buske, head of research and development at Plasmatreat, said the application typically uses only compressed air.

"It's the cheapest material you can get," he said. "Though we are looking into the ionization of hydrogen, argon, even pure oxygen (as a plasma distribution medium). Each adhesive needs something different on the surface (to optimize it)."

In many instances, surfaces like the dashboard of a car are treated with a solvent such as benzene, which is a carcinogen and evaporates quickly. China already has sworn off such primer base solvents.

"You can't even bring them into the country," Christian Buske said, adding that an alternative like his company's plasma treatment can fill that gap.

He said Plasmatreat customers can save on raw materials as polypropylene or polyethylene becomes much less "CO2-emitting."

"We can get rid of the gas," Christian Buske. "We don't burn anything, so we do not emit CO2 or carbons. Diaper manufacturers, for example, could replace this gas treatment."

One example of a Plasmatreat application was hard to miss at this year's K show, as a glass-enclosed, solar-powered, asymmetrical race car, designed by Belgian students as part of the "Punch One" project, greets visitors at Plasmatreat's booth.

"Thanks to plasma treatment, we managed to get an optimal adhesion between the car's outer shell, suspension and structural ribs while keeping material usage and weight to a minimum," Jarno Van Hemelen, Punch One project manager, said in a release.

In addition, Openair Plasma also can be used to improve the processing of recycled plastics.

Thus far, the patented Openair Plasma technology is used in automated and continuous manufacturing processes in almost every industry, including automotive, transportation, packaging, consumer goods and textiles.

And the reduced costs and environmental advantages associated with the application process has seen Plasmatreat find its way into medical technology and renewable energy sectors, as well.

Steinhagen, Germany-based Plasmatreat has technology centers in Germany, the U.S., Canada, China and Japan. It is represented in more than 30 countries by subsidiaries and sales partners.