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Carlos Ruzafa Silvestre

Carlos Ruzafa Silvestre

Researcher, INESCOP

He is an environmental scientist and researcher at the Advanced Materials and Adhesives Department of INESCOP, with over five years of experience in European and national research projects. His current work focuses on developing sustainable solutions for surface treatments and adhesion technologies. Specifically, his research addresses the optimisation of adhesives and coatings for challenging polymeric substrates with low surface energy, commonly used in the footwear industry. He is involved in the study of adhesion mechanisms, surface activation methods, and the application of atmospheric plasma and functional coatings to improve durability, performance, and environmental impact of bonding processes.

Boosting the Adhesion Process via AI-optimised Plasma Surface Treatments on EVA Polymers

Adhesion performance is a key factor in the processing of microporous ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) polymers, widely used in footwear and technical textiles. Atmospheric plasma treatment is a well-established technique to improve adhesion by modifying surface properties, but its effectiveness depends on the precise control of parameters such as power, treatment distance, and application speed. Defining optimal conditions often requires extensive experimental work. This study presents a predictive modelling approach, supported by artificial intelligence, to optimise plasma treatment for maximising adhesion on EVA substrates. Machine learning algorithms are trained on experimental data to correlate plasma parameters with adhesion strength, enabling the identification of optimal process windows. The model also considers material-specific factors, such as polymer composition and microporosity, offering insight into the adhesion mechanisms involved. This strategy reduces the need for time-consuming experimental campaigns while improving process efficiency, reproducibility, and bonding quality. The results highlight the value of integrating data-driven tools into adhesion process design. Future work will explore its application to other polymers and adaptive control in plasma-assisted adhesion processes.

Co-author: Víctor Manuel Serrano Martínez, María Dolores Romero Sánchez, Elena Orgilés Calpena

Breakout VIII – Pre-Treatment and Adhesive Processing – 11 September 2025 – 17:00 – 17:30 – Room 3

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