DETERMINATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF CARBON PARTICLES FORMED WHEN FORMING A POLYMER FILM IN A PLASMA CHEMICAL REACTOR

—We study the formation mechanism of carbon nanoparticles with simultaneous formation of a polystyrene film in a AC barrier corona discharge at atmospheric pressure. The importance of the research stems from the need to control the allotropic form of carbon nanoparticles, which affects the physical and technical characteristics of polymer films obtained by this method. It is shown that nucleation of polycrystalline onion-like carbon nanoparticle agglomerates is the basis for graphene flake formation in the corona sheath. Graphene flakes form from these nucleation sites in gas discharge streamers owing to the destruction of monomer molecules remaining in the agglomerates of nucleation sites. It was revealed that the allotropic form of such particles is determined not only by the energy—in this case the barrier corona discharge—but also by the ratio of the duration of its exposure to the characteristic destruction and formation times of covalent bonds participating in the particle process.