Cold Atmospheric Plasma Surface Processing

Companies named in the data include Plasmatreat, Nordson, and LG Corp. Plasmatreat supplies atmospheric plasma-jet equipment for industrial surface treatment, including activation for adhesion and bonding. Nordson appears among organizations associated with food and agricultural materials and biomedical materials. LG Corp is listed among patent holders. These examples span equipment supply, application activity, and intellectual property.

Terraplasma Medical GmbH is the named startup focused on cold atmospheric plasma in the data. It develops technology for antimicrobial treatment of infected and hard-to-heal wounds, with clinical studies assessing wound-healing outcomes. Its work is primarily medical rather than industrial surface processing, so the available information does not support a broader ranking of startups for manufacturing applications.

Plasmatreat is the clearest named equipment supplier, providing atmospheric plasma-jet systems for industrial surface treatment and adhesion improvement. Nordson and Adtec Plasma Technology also appear among organizations associated with food and agricultural materials, while Surfx Technologies LLC appears in electronics and precision manufacturing. The data does not provide a comparable supplier ranking by sales, installed systems, or production capacity.

Xi'an Jiaotong University and Islamic Azad University are prominent research contributors in the available data, with 41 and 28 documents, respectively, in the last 24 months. Xi'an Jiaotong studies helium plasma jets for polymer modification, while Islamic Azad researchers work on polymer membranes and nanofibers. Masaryk University develops atmospheric systems for large-area treatment.

The data records $16,864,178 across 14 grants since 2020. This figure is the available grant total, not necessarily a complete measure of investment in cold atmospheric plasma surface processing. Funding-round records are associated with organizations and do not by themselves establish that the capital was directed to this technology.

LG Corp is the leading listed patent holder, with 6 patents. Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. follows with 4. Varian Medical Systems, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Applied Materials, TS Corporation, Pellytech Co., and Nisshinbo Chemical Inc. each have 2 listed patents. These figures describe the patent-holder data provided, not the full scope of each organization’s intellectual property.

No: patent activity declined 23.8% in the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months. The data records 74 patents in the last 24 months. Publication activity moved in the opposite direction, with 511 publications in the last year and growth of 10.4%. This contrast suggests research remains active even as recent patenting has softened.

Recent work includes a September 2026 machine-learning framework for predicting wettability changes in biopolymers and an August 2026 study of reactive species in polypropylene modification. Other August 2026 publications examine plasma activation of lithium-ion battery pouch films, natural-fiber composites, and continuous in-package treatment of blueberries. These studies point to better process prediction and integration with material and food-production workflows.

The main approaches listed are dielectric barrier discharge, atmospheric plasma jets, corona discharge, atmospheric glow discharge, and gliding arc discharge. They differ in how plasma is generated and delivered: barrier discharges can treat broader areas, while jets target localized surfaces. Corona systems offer a simple activation route; glow and gliding arc systems have distinct stability and exposure-control trade-offs.

Applications include adhesion and coating preparation, polymers and composites, textiles and fibers, food and agricultural materials, biomedical materials and devices, and electronics and precision manufacturing. Recent examples include improving composite interfaces, activating battery pouch films, treating packaged blueberries, and modifying implant materials. The range reflects plasma’s ability to alter surface chemistry while leaving much of the underlying material intact.