Industrial cleaning processes negatively impact the planet, from air and water pollution to waste generation. Known as the fourth state of matter, plasma has emerged as a popular solution to these sustainability challenges. Manufacturers are increasingly choosing clean with plasma instead of traditional methods, as it is eco-friendly and effective.
This surface treatment is ideal for a wide range of industries, from semiconductor manufacturing to the production of medical devices. Understanding how plasma cleaning is safer and cleaner for the environment is essential for anyone looking to implement greener practices into their operation.
What Is Plasma Cleaning in Manufacturing?
Plasma cleaning is a method for removing both organic and inorganic contaminants from materials and components. It involves creating plasma by applying energy or an electric field to a gas. This causes a critical number of electrons to detach from the atomic shell and ionize the gas into a mixture of both positive and negative ions and free electrons.
Surface cleaning is one of the most popular applications of plasma in manufacturing. This dry process effectively removes organic residue, oxidation and other impurities, resulting in a surface free from contaminants that could affect adhesion and bonding in subsequent operations.
While thorough, plasma cleaning is gentle enough to preserve the integrity and performance of sensitive materials, preventing damage. As a result, this method is perfect for different uses, such as:
- Automotive and aerospace: Product quality is paramount in such high-precision industries. Cleaning with plasma ensures surfaces are adequately prepared for coating and bonding, achieving superior adhesion and a better product.
- Medical device production: Plasma cleaning enhances wetting properties for materials like polymers, allowing for the precise dispensing of biological media onto different surfaces. It is also essential in sterilizing medical devices before use.
- Semiconductor manufacturing: This industry demands high surface purity levels, so plasma cleaning is vital for microchip fabrication. This process removes impurities and oxidation from bond pads and activates glass films to allow for direct fusion bonding.
- Electronics industry: Plasma cleaning ensures proper coating adhesion and soldering by removing contaminants like organic residues from fragile electronic components.
The Environmental Concerns of Traditional Cleaning Methods
While plasma has existed in the natural world for thousands of years, plasma cleaning is a relatively new practice compared to more traditional cleaning methods. In the past, manufacturers typically used wet processes, such as solvent and chemical cleaning. However, such methods present the following environmental concerns:
- Use of toxic substances: Traditional surface cleaning processes often involve using toxic solvents and chemicals, posing occupational and environmental health threats.
- Disposal of hazardous waste: Chemical- and solvent-based surface cleaning requires careful disposal of the agents used in these processes, creating dangerous waste.
- Production of environmental pollution: Chemical and solvent cleaning methods often produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can pollute the air and groundwater and affect human health.
- Generation of harmful byproducts: Besides VOCs, these processes can generate chemical byproducts that must be stored and disposed of. There is also the risk of potential contamination from leaks and spills.
How Is Plasma Cleaner for the Environment?
Beyond ensuring proper adhesion for bonds and coating, there are many environmental benefits of plasma cleaning in semiconductor fabrication, electronics manufacturing and other industries. Here are three ways in which plasma is safer and greener than traditional cleaning procedures.
1. Chemical- and Solvent-Free
Plasma cleaning eliminates the use of harsh cleaning agents. Instead, it involves using harmless gases to provide a dry and sustainable process while still achieving superior results.
In addition to being suitable for materials affected by chemical and solvent cleaning, this method is safer for workers and the planet. Operators aren’t exposed to hazardous fumes or liquids and might not need to wear protective equipment like gloves and masks. There is also no need to store and dispose of toxic cleaning agents, generating less waste and reducing the environmental burden.
2. Less Environmental Pollution
Unlike traditional methods, plasma surface treatments usually don’t emit VOCs. By preventing VOC emissions, plasma’s effects on the environment include preserving our air quality and minimizing pollution.
Plasma cleaning also limits secondary pollution common in solvent and chemical processes. As it is a dry method, there are no liquid or aerosol emissions, avoiding the possibility of spills.
3. Reduced Manufacturing Waste
Contaminants can lower wettability and lead to coating and adhesive problems, such as fish eyes and bubbling. Along with decreased production yields and increased consumable costs, these challenges can result in manufacturers scrapping an excessive amount of products.
Discarded products are detrimental to the environment, wasting resources and energy. They also often end up in landfills, contributing to emissions and pollution. Plasma’s sustainability extends to manufacturing waste, as using this surface treatment in the cleaning stage can improve coating and adhesive performance, preventing defective products.
The Environmental Challenges of Plasma Cleaning
While this process is inherently eco-friendly and is a much better choice than traditional methods, there are some environmental challenges to be aware of with the different types of plasma cleaning.
Vacuum Plasma Cleaning (VPC)
Plasma cleaning is typically performed in a vacuum chamber, introducing additional gases like hydrogen, oxygen, helium and argon. Before adding these gases, the air inside these chambers is removed. Then, the gases are introduced, and energy or an electrical field is applied.
As this method relies on vacuum pumps to create and maintain a low-pressure environment, VPC can be energy-intensive, especially in large-scale manufacturing applications. While the gases that are commonly used in VPC are often harmless, this method can result in the creation of potentially toxic byproducts depending on the gas used.
Atmospheric Plasma Cleaning (APC)
Another conventional approach is cleaning with high-voltage atmospheric plasma, which involves extremely reactive radicals and energetic electrons interacting with material surfaces. Atmospheric plasma is generated in open air, so a vacuum isn’t necessary. As a result, this method is more energy-efficient than VPC.
However, as APC relies on air, it can lead to ozone production. This is a harmful pollutant and is the main component of smog. Even with systems for destroying ozone, atmospheric plasma processes can still release ozone if the conversion is incomplete.
Surfx Technologies’ Solution: Argon Plasma Cleaning
Surfx Technologies offers argon plasma that is produced at atmospheric pressures. This is a more modern process for plasma cleaning, helping manufacturers overcome the sustainability concerns of VPC and APC.
As argon’s electron configuration is stable, it allows for easy ionization with a low energy output. Beyond being more energy-efficient than VPC, and thus the greener option, manufacturers can save costs by reducing power consumption.
Unlike open-air systems such as APC, there is no risk of ozone generation. Argon is nontoxic and doesn’t produce any harmful byproducts. Since it is naturally occurring and abundantly available, using argon in cleaning processes doesn’t deplete the Earth’s limited resources.
With Surfx Technologies, manufacturers can also avoid the negative environmental effects of traditional cleaning methods, as well as VPC and APC.
Experience the Benefits of Atmospheric Argon Plasma Cleaning
Surfx Technologies supplies atmospheric plasma solutions to manufacturing companies worldwide. In addition to its sustainability, our atmospheric argon plasma offers many other benefits. With our argon-based cleaning methods, you increase your operation’s uptime, extend product lifespans and avoid damage to sensitive parts such as microchips.
We also offer innovative plasma cleaning machines, transforming the high-volume production of medical devices, semiconductors, electronics, and aerospace and automotive components. When you work with us, you can create superior quality products that your consumers trust while reducing your impact on the environment.
Contact us to learn more about how our patented solutions can enhance your operations, or request a demo to experience the benefits firsthand.
