The Influence of Atmospheric Plasma Treatment on Digital Print Quality of Extrusion Coated Paper, 2008 PLACE Conference

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High productivity, competition and economy are the main reasons, which have led towards thinner coatings and higher line speeds in field of extrusion coating. This modern trend has set high demands for the product properties, especially challenging is to establish the adequate level of adhesion required for coatings, inks, toners, etc. From point of view of printing, the dense and impervious structure of extrusion coatings is challenging: printing inks and toners do not penetrate into the coatings. The durability of the printed image is significant, because the image must withstand various converting operations when the package is constructed. The most common method for obtaining good ink adhesion is to oxidise the surface. Surface treatments are used to change the chemical composition, increase the surface energy, modify the crystalline morphology and surface topography, remove the contaminants and weak boundary layers and provide polar molecular groups necessary for good bonds between ink and polymer molecules. Two widely used methods are electrical corona discharge treatment and flame treatment. In addition to these conventional methods, a lot of research work has focused on atmospheric plasma treatment. This paper compares these different surface treatments and presents their effects on surface properties of extrusion coating and furthermore, on digital print quality.