Plasma chemical modification of polymer surface. Polyethylene terephthalate

Methods of electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angles, multiple attenuated total internal reflection IR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study the molecular-chemical, structural and morphological, and energy characteristics of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) surfaces before and after treatment in plasma of high-frequency air discharge. It is shown that modification of PET surface results in a change in the structural-morphological surface properties and the formation of oxidized near-surface layers. The peel test was used to determine the adhesion characteristics of the substrate with respect to a standard adhesive. It is shown that the decisive role in providing high strength of adhesive joints in the course of plasma chemical modification is played by a significant increase in the surface energy of the substrate, namely its polar component. The kinetics of relaxation of surface characteristics of the substrate are studied in the case of long-term storage under laboratory conditions.