Surface characteristics of polycarbonate by radio‐frequency linear dielectric barrier plasma activation

Abstract

In this paper, we report the surface activation of polycarbonate by linear dielectric barrier plasma treatment at one atmospheric pressure. Different analytical techniques were used to determine the changes in the surface characteristics of polycarbonate: Static and dynamic water contact angle examinations showed that the hydrophobicity of the surface decreased after being exposed to linear atmospheric pressure plasma; optical emission spectroscopy was used to identify the chemical species in the plasma before and after surface exposure; the variations in the surface morphology and chemical structure of polycarbonate were confirmed by atomic force microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The latter clearly showed an increased surface concentration of oxygen‐containing functional groups after linear atmospheric pressure plasma treatment. Our experimental results display the essential role of polar atmospheric contaminants in the interaction between linear plasma and a polycarbonate surface and demonstrate that the input plasma power can be tuned to tailor the final hydrophilicity of the polymeric material.

Fabrication of the PES Membrane Embedded with Plasma-Modified Zeolite at Different O2 Pressures

“…Plasma is a combination of electrons, photons, ions, neutral, and excited species that may produce repulsive solid forces inside the crystal structure and cause bonding between the key components such as Al, Si, and O to deform. This method is thought to change the surface properties of the plasma-treated material and increase its specific surface area . Higher plasma gas pressures and clinoptilolite loadings result in more surface areas and a greater decrease in membrane surface roughness.…”