Atmospheric pressure glow discharge treatment of polymeric supports to promote adhesion for photographic applications

摘要

The present invention is a method for treating a polyester support such as polyethylene naphthalate or polyethylene terephthalate. The treatment is carried out at near atmospheric pressure in a gas of helium and optionally nitrogen and/or oxygen. The treatment uses anodized aluminum electrodes and an atmospheric glow discharge results when the electrodes are connected to an RF generator and spaced about 2 mm apart. The process and apparatus improve adhesion of subsequently coated emulsions on the polyester support at high speeds and relatively low power by selecting a frequency of 40 kHz to 500 kHz.