How Corona Treaters Work

Corona treatment is the most common method of increasing surface energy on substrates to promote adhesion when printing, coating or laminating.

Corona treatment systems are made of several components designed to apply a high voltage, high frequency electrical discharge to your film. To see an overview of the corona treatment process, view the Corona Treatment Process Movie.

Corona Treatment Theory

There are several theories as to how corona treatment increases the surface energy of a substrate.

OXIDATION: The most commonly accepted theory is that of Oxidation. This theory states the exposure to the corona oxidizes the material of the surface, creating a more chemically bondable surface.

MICROPITTING: The micropitting theory states that the surface of the material being treated is pittted, increasing the surface area and giving it a better surface for the coating or lamination to grab onto.

THE ELECTRET EFFECT: The electret theory describes a process within the corona where the polar chain of the polymer being treated is carbonized giving it a chemically reactive surface for the coating or lamination to bond to.

For a complete article on how corona treatment works, see the Corona Theory article in our web site. To determine how much power your process requires, please see the Size My System Page.