Corrosion protection of copper surfaces by an atmospheric pressure plasma jet treatment

The pre-treatment of copper by an atmospheric pressure plasma jet system with different gas mixtures was studied. Their influence on the protection properties of plasma polymer coatings against corrosive environments were examined via an electrochemical test for the visualization of defects in the plasma polymer coating. The defect density could be significantly reduced by the pre-treatment with nitrogen-hydrogen plasma. Time between pre-treatment and coating process is of important influence on the defect density as our investigation shows. The coating properties were compared with a typical protective paint system used today for electric boards. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.