Flame versus air atmospheric gliding arc plasma treatment of polypropylene‐based automotive bumpers: Physicochemical characterization and investigation of coating properties

Abstract

In this research, the polypropylene (PP) sheets used for automotive bumper surface were treated using two methods: air atmospheric gliding arc plasma and flame modifications. Atomic force microscopy was applied to study the morphology of surfaces before and after treatment processes. While calculating the surface free energy (SFE), contact angle of the surfaces was measured, and the chemical composition of the PP surface was analyzed using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Surface modifications by gliding arc plasma increased the ratio of the oxygen and nitrogen atoms on the surface by 100%, indicating that polar chemical functionalities form on the surface. The surface morphology was highly affected by gliding arc plasma treatments, which triggered an impact on roughness and etching. It was also found that the SFE was drastically increased by certain modifications. Noticeable improvement was also observed in wettability by the gliding arc plasma technique. In the next stage, polyurethane paints were coated on the treated and untreated PP surfaces. Then, we examined the flame and gliding arc plasma treatments' effect on coating properties of PP bumper, adhesion analysis, water immersion resistance, and sulfuric acid resistance. Finally, high‐pressure carwash test and gloss analysis were conducted on the treated and untreated coated sheets, respectively.

From Basics to Frontiers: A Comprehensive Review of Plasma-Modified and Plasma-Synthesized Polymer Films

“…Flame treatment also finds an interest in the automotive industry for pre-treating polymer components, such as polypropylene before painting or bonding [160]. -Mechanical abrasion techniques such as sandpaper or advanced sandblasting methods can be employed to introduce roughness to polymer surfaces such as HDPE, LDPE, PP and silicone [161].…”

The effect of flame treatment on the compressive strength of composite sandwich panels made of pure epoxy resin H‐shaped structures and hollow glass bead/epoxy resin composite material

“…Upon compression, HGB/EP will display malleable behavior, 22 while the low interfacial strength may result in premature failure and delamination of the sandwiched panel during compression. 25,26 In the realm of surface bonding properties of bonding materials, flame treatment has emerged as a promising surface treatment method in industrial applications due to its attributes of automation, cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and rapidity, 27,28 yielding satisfactory outcomes. [29][30][31][32][33] Consequently, the application of flame treatment to the pure EP H-shaped structure is incorporated in this study to augment its bonding strength with HGB/EP.…”

Atmospheric plasma activation and thin film deposition processes for adhesion improvement and corrosion resistance in the automotive industry

“…Alternatively, atmospheric pressure plasma processes mainly operating with clean and dry air as the ionization gas, have become an attractive green alternative in comparison to primer applications or flame processes. In recent work, Shabanpour et al [ 1 ] —have compared flame treatment using a methane‐air mixture and plasma activation operating with air, to prepare polypropylene automotive bumper before painting. Based on measurements of surface energy and characterization by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), comparing a flame‐treated versus a plasma‐treated surface, an improvement of the wettability due to an increase of oxygen content and polar functions was observed.…”