Amrish K. Panwar, S. K. Barthwal, S. Ray

Aging and Annealing Behavior of Polycarbonate Surfaces Modified by Direct-Current Glow Discharge in Air

Journal of Applied Polymer Science 112 (2009) 700-708

Aging and annealing a polycarbonate (PC) polymer surface treated by direct-current (dc) glow discharge tend to revert it back to its virgin (pristine) state existing before surface modification by glow discharge. This structural recovery during aging and annealing has been studied in terms of the contact angles of test liquids and surface energy and correlated to the parameters of surface treatment such as the treatment time and power. Samples stored in hydrophobic environments such as air and treated by dc glow discharge at higher power levels show less recovery during aging than those treated at lower power levels. Similarly, a longer exposure time at a power level of 2.04 W decreases the extent of structural recovery in terms of surface energy during aging in air. At higher power levels, the higher kinetic energy of plasma species involved during dc glow discharge results in greater thickness of the damaged layer of the polymer surface, and so a PC sample exposed to dc glow discharge at a higher temperature also recovers at a slower rate during the initial phase of aging, whereas samples with surfaces modified by dc glow discharge at room temperature but annealed at a higher temperature show a relatively rapid recovery during the initial phase of aging. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 700-708, 2009

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