Author(s)

Ivo Krásný, Ivana Kupská, Lubomír Lapčík

Centre of Polymer Systems, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University, Zlin, Czech..

Main aim of this study was focused on characterization of the effect of microwave air plasma treatment on wettability of synthetic polymer surfaces. Wettability of solid polymer surfaces polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene (PE, PP, PS) was followed as a function of plasma treatment time. For evaluation the equilibrium contact angles of wetting as well as dynamic contact angles of wetting were determined by means of sessile drop and Wilhelmy plate methods. Free surface energy (SFE) of studied samples were calculated from the experimentally determined contact angles using Fowkes and van Oss, Chaudhury and Good (vOCG) approaches. It was found that with prolonged treatment time the total surface free energy of PE was two times increased from 23 mJ/m² to 45 mJ/m² after 360 s plasma treatment time (calculated for W and EG as wetting liquids). Similar effect was found for all studied polymers. With respect to the dispersive and polar components of the total surface free energy the vigorous effect was found for polar component, for which it was increased from 7 mJ/m² to 20 mJ/m².

Surface Energy; Contact Angle; Wetting; Plasma Treatment

I. Krásný, I. Kupská and L. Lapčík, "Effect of Glow-Discharge Air Plasma Treatment on Wettability of Synthetic Polymers," Journal of Surface Engineered Materials and Advanced Technology, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2012, pp. 142-148. doi: 10.4236/jsemat.2012.23023.