Vibrationally excited diatomic molecules as charge injectors during corona charging of polymer films

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Abstract
Neutral species in corona discharges have been identified spectroscopically as vibrationally excited states of nitric oxide, electronically excited states of nitrogen which can lead to ground state vibrational metastables by collisions, and perhaps oxygen. These molecules act as energy carriers to the polymer surface, and are effective injectors of negative charge in virgin and etched low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, and even in polytetrafluoroethylene. Charge injection could not be detected in positively charged samples. Removal of the injecting energy by blowing air tangential to the face of the sample results in reduced negative charge decay. Blowing for times of the order of milliseconds can deexcite these metastables by increased collisions, or can physically blow them away, or both. A previous suggestion that photons of energy ?6 eV, resulting from excited molecules were the charge injectors has been disproved.

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