DBD Plasma Influence on the Adhesion of Paints on Polymeric Substrates

The, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polycarbonate (PC) flat substrates were treated by the DBD plasma in air for 1 s, 2 s and 3 s. The adhesion of two types of paints (water based and solvent based) was studied by the pull-off test. The other methods were utilized to gain the information about the surface of the samples. The measurement of contact angle of water and Arcotest (commercial test using set of fluids with defined surface tension) and the XPS technique were used to obtain the chemical composition of the sample surface. The pull-off test confirmed increased adhesion of both types of paints, which is related to oxygen content confirmed by XPS. The aged (60 days) samples keep their enhanced properties although some return to initial state was observed.