Abstract: A method is disclosed for applying a protective layer on at least part of an exposed alkali metal or alkali metal alloy substrate. The method includes activating a gas using a plasma discharge to obtain an activated gas and contacting the exposed surface with the activated gas. A protective layer is formed on at least part of the exposed surface. The gas has a nitrogen-comprising compound such that the protective layer includes at least 60 mol % of a corresponding alkali metal nitrate. The present disclosure is further related to an article including a substrate having a surface including an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy and a protective layer arranged on at least part of the alkali metal or alkali metal alloy surface of the substrate. The protective layer is conductive to ions of the corresponding alkali metal and has at least 60 mol % of a corresponding alkali metal nitrate.

Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing three-dimensional structures is provided. The system comprises a plurality of printing stations for performing parallel printing in an confined space enclosed by a housing, wherein each printing station comprises a carrier, a deposition unit with at least one nozzle arranged for dispensing filaments of build material paste through an opening area thereof and a station controller configured to operate the deposition unit for deposition of filaments of a build material paste on the carrier in an interconnected arrangement in a plurality of stacked layers in order to form one or more three-dimensional structures, the at least one nozzle and the detachable carrier being relatively moveable with respect to each other, wherein the deposition unit is coupled to a reservoir unit configured to house the build material paste, wherein the reservoir unit includes at least one reservoir arranged outside of the confined space.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a method for applying a functional compound on sulfur particles by means of an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge including a gas or an activated gas flow resulting from the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge. The coating composition includes an inorganic electrically conductive compound, an electrically conductive carbon compound, an organic precursor compound of a conjugated polymer, a precursor of a hybrid organic-inorganic compound, or a mixture, and the functional compound provides the sulfur particles with an electrically conductive surface.

Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing three-dimensional structures is provided. The system includes plurality of printing stations and a robotic unit configured to interact with the plurality of printing stations, each of the plurality of printing stations being arranged to be accessible by the robotic unit. Each printing station includes a station controller for controlling at least one deposition control parameter. The system further includes a system controller configured to operate the robotic unit, and wherein the system controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of printing stations for controlling at least an execution of printing tasks being performed on the plurality of printing stations.

Abstract: A surgical implant may include a porous structure with interconnected pores for ingrowth of bone into the porous structure. The porous structure has an arrangement of fibres which are attached to one another, the fibres being arranged in stacked layers. The porous structure has a surface including different regions having different porosities. A method of making the above surgical implant is also described.

Abstract: A surgical implant may include a porous structure with interconnected pores for ingrowth of bone into the porous structure. The porous structure has an arrangement of fibres which are attached to one another, the fibres being arranged in stacked layers. The porous structure has a surface including different regions having different porosities. A method of making the above surgical implant is also described.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of making a cord-reinforced rubber article, comprising the steps of A) mixing a carrier gas, a sulfur-containing compound and an alkyne, to form a gas mixture; B) generating an atmospheric pressure plasma from the gas mixture; C) exposing a reinforcement cord to the atmospheric pressure plasma to produce a treated reinforcement cord; and D) contacting the treated reinforcement cord with a rubber composition comprising a diene based elastomer.

Abstract: A continuous plasma treatment process is disclosed. The process may include providing at least one plasma treatment zone having a pair of electrodes with endless dielectric belts, each belt having a first and a second side that covers one of the electrodes. The process may include producing a non-thermal plasma in a space between the belts, and transporting a web material via the belts such that there is a width of exposed belt on either side of the web material. The process may include transporting the web material such that a side of the web material not in contact with the belts is treated in two passes through the at least one plasma treatment zone, while exposed parts of the belts transporting the web material are also treated. The process may include cleaning treated parts of the belts prior to the belts re-entering the at least one plasma treatment zone.

Abstract: A method for applying a hydrophilic coating on a substrate includes: providing a substrate (1), producing an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in the presence of a gas, at least partially exposing the substrate to the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge. The method introduces a liquid aerosol (6) or a vapor of coating forming material into the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, thereby forming a coating on the substrate. The coating forming material is a non-polymerizable acetate derivative, and is ethyl acetate in one embodiment.

Abstract: A method produces a biocidal coating on a substrate, by a flame assisted chemical vapour deposition and a plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition step. In a first step, a biocidal material is deposited onto the substrate, possibly in combination with a first coating forming material. The second step provides a coating forming material onto the first layer, possibly in combination with a second biocidal material. The first step can be a flame assisted CVD step and the second step a plasma assisted CVD step or vice versa.

Abstract: A continuous plasma treatment process, said process comprising the steps of: providing a plasma treatment apparatus, said apparatus comprising at least one plasma treatment zone, said plasma treatment zone comprising a pair of electrodes with endless dielectric belts each having a first and a second side and each covering an electrode of said pair of electrodes; producing a non-thermal plasma in a process gas at a pressure of 100 Pa to 1 MPa in the space between said pair of endless dielectric belt-covered electrodes by applying a voltage between said electrode pair; providing a web material to be treated such that it can be transported by said two endless dielectric belts in such a way that there is an area in the plane of said belt at least about 5 mm on either side of said web material on the side of said endless dielectric belts with no part thereof facing one electrode of said pair of electrodes; transporting said web material using said endless dielectric belts in frictional contact with said electrodes

Abstract: An apparatus and method are for disinfection and purification of a liquid, gaseous or solid phase, or a mixture thereof. The apparatus includes: a central electrode, a dielectric layer adjacent to the electrode, a first area adjacent to the dielectric layer, and is configured to introduce a first medium into the first area, a second area adjacent to the first area. The apparatus is also configured to introduce a second medium into the second area, and for creating a plasma in the first medium, while the first medium is present in the first area, by applying a voltage between the first electrode and a second electrode. An injector injects the plasma into the second area, in order to be mixed with the second medium.

Abstract: A method for applying a hydrophilic coating on a substrate includes: providing a substrate (1), producing an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in the presence of a gas, at least partially exposing the substrate to the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge. The method introduces a liquid aerosol (6) or a vapor of coating forming material into the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, thereby forming a coating on the substrate. The coating forming material is a non-polymerizable acetate derivative, and is ethyl acetate in one embodiment.

Abstract: A method of coating a substrate includes: providing a substrate (1), producing an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in the presence of a gas, at least partially exposing the substrate to the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge. The method also includes introducing a liquid aerosol (6) of coating forming material into the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, thereby forming a coating on the substrate, curing the substrate and coating, by exposing the substrate to ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A method produces a coating including a conjugated polymer on a substrate. The method includes the steps of: —providing a substrate, —introducing a conjugated polymer coating forming material into an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, or into the reactive gas stream resulting therefrom, —simultaneously with the introduction of a coating forming material, introducing an additional material into the plasma discharge or the reactive gas stream resulting therefrom, —exposing the substrate to the plasma discharge or the reactive gas stream resulting therefrom, thereby obtaining the coating.

Abstract: A polymeric film has at least one surface on which chitosan has been immobilised so as to be substantially resistant to leaching and have a strong antimicrobial activity. The polymeric film may be a polyolefin film such as a biaxially orientated polypropylene film. A process immobilises chitosan on a polymeric surface so as to be resistant to leaching and have a strong antimicrobial activity by applying chitosan to a polymeric film surface which has been activated before addition of chitosan to the surface by plasma activation at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are for disinfection and purification of a liquid, gaseous or solid phase, or a mixture thereof. The apparatus includes: a central electrode, a dielectric layer adjacent to the electrode, a first area adjacent to the dielectric layer, and is configured to introduce a first medium into the first area, a second area adjacent to the first area. The apparatus is also configured to introduce a second medium into the second area, and for creating a plasma in the first medium, while the first medium is present in the first area, by applying a voltage between the first electrode and a second electrode. An injector injects the plasma into the second area, in order to be mixed with the second medium.

Abstract: A method and apparatus coats a substrate with an inorganic-organic hybrid polymer material. The method generates and maintains a plasma according to the Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) technique, method including the steps of introducing a sample in the space between two electrodes, generating a plasma discharge between the electrodes and admixing aerosols containing hybrid organic/inorganic cross-linked pre-polymers to the plasma discharge. Also, an apparatus generates the plasma and admixes the liquid coating material (precursor solution) in the form of aerosol to the plasma discharge.