Martin Šíra, David Trunec, Pavel Sťahel, Vilma Buršíková, Zdeněk Navrátil, Jiří Buršík

Surface modification of polyethylene and polypropylene in atmospheric pressure glow discharge

Journal of Physics D 38 (2005) 621-627

An atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) was used for surface modification of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The discharge was generated between two planar metal electrodes, with the top electrode covered by a glass and the bottom electrode covered by the treated polymer sample. The discharge burned in pure nitrogen or in nitrogen-hydrogen or nitrogen-ammonia mixtures. The surface properties of both treated and untreated polymers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, surface free energy measurements and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The influence of treatment time and power input to the discharge on the surface properties of the polymers was studied. The ageing of the treated samples was investigated as well. The surface of polymers treated in an APGD was homogeneous and it had less roughness in comparison with polymer surfaces treated in a filamentary discharge. The surface free energy of treated PE obtained under optimum conditions was 54 mJ m(-2) and the corresponding contact angle of water was 40 degrees; the surface free energy of treated PP obtained under optimum conditions was 53 mJ m(-2) and the contact angle of water 42 degrees. The maximum decrease in the surface free energy during the ageing was about 10%.

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You can also contact one of the authors: trunec@physics.muni.cz, vilmab@physics.muni.cz

Cited Articles

1. Trunec D., Navrátil Z., Sťahel P., Zajíčková L., Buršíková V.,
   Deposition of Thin Organosilicon Polymer Films in Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge,
   Journal of Physics D 37 (2004) 2112–2120