Title: Enhancing polymer adhesion through surface activation using an in-line atmospheric pressure plasma

Authors: John Tynan, Denis P. Dowling, Gerald Byrne, Donal Hughes

Addresses: School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. ' School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. ' School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. ' School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

Abstract: A reel-to-reel atmospheric pressure plasma treatment system known as Labline™, was used to activate the surface of Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). An epoxy adhesive was used to bond the activated polymers and the bond strength was assessed using the tensile lap shear test method. For PP treated in a helium discharge at 900 W a fivefold increase in adhesive bond strength was observed compared with that of the untreated polymer. The effect of adding nitrogen and oxygen into the helium plasma was examined, both with respect to the bond strength of the epoxy and polymer surface energy. An 18-fold increase in adhesive strength was observed after the treatment of PP in a helium/oxygen plasma, while a threefold increase was observed for PET. A similar increase in adhesion was observed for PET treated in a helium/nitrogen plasma, while a 16-fold increase in adhesion was obtained for PP.

Keywords: atmospheric plasma; polymers; polymer adhesion; surface activation; polypropylene; PP; polyethylene terephthalate; PET; epoxy adhesive; bond strength; tensile lap shear test; surface energy; adhesive strength; helium; oxygen; nitrogen.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2007.014575

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2007 Vol.1 No.4, pp.554 - 569

Published online: 16 Jul 2007 *

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