Dielectric Erosion and Sub-Micron Polymeric Particles Formation in Planar Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

Experimental observations on plasma-dielectric material interaction are reported. Planar sheet-shaped dielectric barrier discharge plasma is produced at atmospheric pressure in helium gas. The epoxy resin dielectric-covered stripe electrodes are energized with an AC high-voltage source of 1–20 kHz frequency. It is observed that the discharge remain stable and uniform in our parametric range. After the discharge process, dielectric erosion was observed in the form of powder formation over the dielectric insulation. SEM analysis reveals that the powder contains individual as well as cluster of particles with size 0.5–1 micron. It may be possible to produce submicron particles from other dielectrics using DBD plasma. Such small particles may find significant applications in materials engineering and biomedicine.