Surface modification of melamine formaldehyde resin particles in a stratified glow discharge in neon

The paper presents the description of the change in size and structure with time of the surface of polymer particles of melamine formaldehyde injected as a dust component of a complex plasma formed in a stratified glow discharge in neon. The experiment was carried out in a specialized discharge chamber, equipped with a device for collecting particles from a dust trap. The analysis of the size and surface structure was carried out by scanning electron microscopy, which gives the original and the resulting surface views of the plasma-processed particles. These profiles show the variation in surface roughness distribution under the action of the plasma. The time dependence of the particle diameter on plasma exposure was tracked. Data show that 25 min of exposure results in the dust particles losing a substantial part of their volume, which is accompanied by a decrease of the diameter by half. Our results coincide with previous data for smaller particles in similar plasma conditions.The particles used in this work are larger but still are able to levitate in a dust trap, and corresponding processes of size degradation and surface modification are extremely intense.