Method and apparatus for the treatment of plastic materials

Claim 1

THE IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING A SYNTHETIC, ORGANIC, THERMOPLASTIC ARTICLE COMPRISING DISPOSING SAID ARTICLE BETWEEN AND IN CONTACT WITH THE OPPOSING FACES OF A PAIR OF FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES, THE FACE OF SAID FIRST ELECTRODE BEING FORMED OF A SOLID FIRST DIELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING A HIGHER DIELECTRIC LOSS FACTOR THAN SAID PLASTIC ARTICLE AND THE FACE OF SAID SECOND ELECTRODE BEING FORMED OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF GOOD ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AND DIELECTRIC MATERIALS HAVING A DIELECTRIC LOSS FACTOR LESS THAN SAID FIRST DIELECTRIC MATERIAL, AN ELECTRIC VOLTAGE BEING CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES, SAID VOLTAGE FLUCTUATING AT A FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST 300 CYCLES PER SECOND AND SAID FLUCTUATION HAVING AN AMPLITUDE OF AT LEAST 400 VOLTS, THE POTENTIAL OF SAID FIRST ELECTRODE BEING POSITIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ARTICLE FOR AT LEAST A PART OF THE TIME WHEREBY TO ALTER THE SURFACE PROPERTIES OF SAID THERMOPLASTIC ARTICLE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST DIELECTRIC MATERIAL TO INCREASE THE RECEPTIVE PROPERTIES THEREOF.