INVESTIGATION OF LOW-PRESSURE AIR PLASMA TREATMENT OF FLUORINATED ETHYLENE PROPYLENE FOR TRIBOELECTRIC NANOGENERATOR-BASED VIBRATION SENSOR

Abstract

Plasma surface treatment heralds an innovative era for Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG) as a promising method to enhance the electrical output and sensing abilities. The low-pressure air plasma surface treatment significantly improves the output performance of the TENG. This research focusses on low-pressure air plasma treatment of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) for sliding mode TENG for in-plane vibration detection. Plasma treatment was carried out at a contact power of 30 W for varying time periods. After plasma treatment of FEP for a time duration of 10 seconds, Air Plasma-treated TENG (AP-TENG) generated an 143% boost in short-circuit current (ISC) to 5.9 µA and 144% increase in open-circuit voltage (VOC) to 61 V as compared to a pristine TENG which generated 2.4 µA and 25 V. The improved sensitivity of the PT-TENG is noticeable over a vibration frequency range (0-50 Hz). This results in a more sensitive sensor because it produces a greater voltage response for small variations in vibration frequency. The industrial application of the AP-TENG has been demonstrated by accurately detecting the operational condition. It collects real-time data for continuous supervision and data analysis, allowing monitoring of machine health. This demonstrates the capability of the AP-TENG as an independent vibration sensor for machine health monitoring. © © 2025 by ASME.