Plasma deposition as an alternative to RFL treatment

The tire industry is focusing more and more on sustainable processes and materials, with special attention to a replacement of RFL treatment for cord-rubber adhesion. One of the alternatives is atmospheric plasma treatment, in which the fiber surface is activated and a reactive coating is applied. Precursors with different types of anchoring groups for coupling to the cord and the polymer will be compared. They are applied to two different types of cords, rayon and polyester, of which the intrinsic properties determine the processing window and thus the activation efficiency. The chances and limitations of this technology will be discussed