Patent ID: 8309033

Claim:
Apparatus for plasma treating a gas permeable material, the apparatus including: a) spaced electrodes, at least one of which comprises a plurality of discrete electrode segments, the other electrode being gas permeable, wherein at least one of the electrodes is covered with a dielectric barrier and the electrodes are arranged to enable the passage of a gas permeable material between or adjacent to the spaced electrodes; (b) one or more electrical conductors arranged and configured to be connected to a power source for applying an alternating voltage between said spaced electrodes to generate filamentary plasma microdischarges between the spaced electrodes; and (c) an arrangement configured to move a gas between the electrode segments into and through a space between the electrodes, through the gas permeable material, and through the gas permeable electrode, the gas flowing over plasma generation surfaces of the respective electrode segments and being moved at a rate such that the gas flow between the spaced electrodes is turbulent and so randomises the plasma microdischarges and disperses plasma products that would otherwise give rise to burning instabilities in the gas permeable material; whereby the randomised microdischarges provide a generally uniform plasma treatment of the gas permeable material.