Can plasma cleaning technology be applied to the aerospace industry?

Originating in the early 20th century, plasma cleaning technology has promoted the rapid development of semiconductor and optoelectronic industry applications in the aviation manufacturing field. It has been widely used in many high-tech fields such as precision machinery, automobile manufacturing, aerospace, etc. 

Plasma cleaning machines rely on external conditions such as high temperature, high frequency, and high energy to produce a gas substance that is electrically neutral, high-energy, fully or partially ionized. 

The energy of plasma is about tens of electron volts, containing active particles such as ions, electrons, free radicals, and ultraviolet light, which can easily react with pollutant molecules on the solid surface, separate them, and be used for cleaning.

However, plasma cleaning has much lower energy than high-energy radiation, so this technology only involves the surface of the material and has no effect on the substrate properties of the material,

Plasma cleaning machine is a dry cleaning technology that can provide a low-temperature environment, avoid harmful substances and wastewater generated during chemical cleaning processes, and is safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly. Simply put, low-temperature plasma cleaning technology combines plasma physics, chemistry, and gas-solid interface reactions, which can effectively remove organic residues on the surface of materials and ensure that their surface and bulk properties are not affected,

Let me explain to you: What accessories are used in the aviation industry for plasma cleaning? Let's learn and explore together!

1. Surface cleaning of aircraft engine blades: During long-term use, a large amount of oil and oxide deposits on the surface of aircraft engine blades, which affects the performance and safety of the engine. Plasma surface cleaning machines are needed to effectively remove these dirt and impurities, improve the surface quality and service life of the blades.

2. Cleaning of spacecraft solar panels: Spacecraft solar panels work in the space environment for a long time, and the surface will deposit dust and impurities, affecting the photoelectric conversion efficiency. By using a plasma surface cleaning machine, these dirt and impurities can be effectively removed, improving the power generation efficiency and service life of the panels. Before applying various functional coatings such as thermal control coatings and anti-corrosion coatings on the surface of spacecraft, plasma cleaning machines are used for surface pretreatment. It can remove impurities such as oil stains, dust, and oxide layers on the surface, while increasing surface roughness and activity, significantly enhancing the adhesion between the coating and the substrate, ensuring that the coating remains stable for a long time in the space environment and is not easily peeled off.

3. Surface adhesion performance of composite materials: Plasma cleaning machine can remove organic coatings on the surface of composite materials, enhance the interface adhesion between resin and fibers, and improve the performance of composite materials. For some components that need to be bonded, welded or sealed, plasma cleaning can change the chemical properties of the material surface, improve its hydrophilicity or surface energy, which is conducive to better wetting and adhesion of adhesives, solder, etc., thereby improving the reliability and sealing of connections and ensuring the structural integrity of spacecraft in complex space environments.

4. Composite materials such as carbon fiber and glass fiber commonly used in the aerospace field have a direct impact on the overall performance of the material due to the bonding strength between the fibers and the matrix. The plasma cleaning machine can treat the surface of fibers, remove impurities and weak boundary layers, increase the active groups on the fiber surface, improve the interfacial bonding force between fibers and matrix, and thus enhance the mechanical properties of composite materials.

In summary, the application of plasma surface cleaning machines in the field of aerospace technology has broad prospects and significant importance. Through the application of plasma cleaning machines, the surface quality and performance of aerospace equipment can be improved, and maintenance costs and risks can be reduced.