Abstract: A polyimide film of 20 to 125 &mgr;m thick composed of aromatic polyimide prepared from an aromatic tetracarboxylic acid component (composed mainly of 3,4,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid or its derivative) and an aromatic diamine component (composed mainly of p-phenyl-enediamine) and containing a micro-granular filler of metal atom-containing inorganic material, can be so denatured on its surfaces that an amount of the metal atom and a ratio of oxygen/carbon would increase by 0.03 to 1.0 atomic % and 0.01 to 0.20, respectively, on the processed surfaces, upon running in a gaseous mixture of argon and hydrogen between a plurality of activated plasma discharge electrodes arranged in a double line under such condition that the running polyimide film is free from contact with the electrodes.

Abstract: An atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma treatment method, in which a gaseous mixture comprising argon, argon and helium, or argon and hydrogen, mixed with water vapor or water vapor and ketones at room temperature or a specified temperature, is introduced into a plasma reactor having a dielectric-coated electrode comprising a solid dielectric disposed on the surface of at least one of opposing electrodes, and a high-frequency voltage is applied under atmospheric pressure to generate atmospheric pressure glow discharge and excite a plasma, thereby making surface treatment of plastics or fibers disposed between the electrodes.

Abstract: A method for treating ozone layer depleting substances, in which a gaseous composition comprising helium or argon or a mixture thereof, or a gaseous mixture of argon and acetone, is introduced into a plasma reactor having a dielectric-coated electrode comprising a solid dielectric disposed on the surface of at least one of opposing electrodes, an atmospheric pressure glow discharge is generated in the gaseous atmosphere, gaseous ozone layer depleting substances are introduced into the glow discharge to decompose the substances, and resulting decomposition products are absorbed in water.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for the surface treatment of a metal, which comprises the steps of: placing at least a surface to be treated of a metal to be treated between two electrodes facing each other under an atmosphere of a mixed gas consisting of an inert gas and a reactant gas; and plasma exciting said mixed gas under atmospheric pressure to effect glow discharge between said electrodes. The method of the present invention uses an apparatus simpler than that used in a conventional method and can inject into the surface layer of a metal, even those elements which have been difficult to with the conventional method, and can readily modify surface properties of a metal such as surface hardness, surface wettability, etc.

Abstract: According to this invention, there is provided an atmospheric pressure plasma surface treatment process comprising the steps of introducing a gas in a plasma reaction apparatus having a pair of dielectric-covered electrodes having opposing surfaces on at least one of which is provided with a solid dielectric; performing plasma excitation under atmospheric pressure; and surface treating an object placed between the opposing electrodes, wherein the gas introduced is a gaseous composition consisting essentially of argon, helium and/or ketone. This process makes it possible to quickly imparting hydrophilic nature to surfaces of an object made of a plastic to be treated. The hydrophilic nature given lasts long.