Surface properties of UV irradiated CR-39 polymer before and after chemical etching and registration of fingerprints on CR-39

In this work, the effects of UV irradiation time and chemical etching time on surface properties of CR-39 polymers have been investigated. Polymers irradiated with UV lamp at 254 nm and etched in a 6.25 N NaOH solution at 85 °C. Wettability of CR-39 polymers before and after chemical etching has been studied using contact angle measurements. The wettability and surface energy of samples depended on UV irradiation time and etching time. Also the bulk etch rate has been calculated and the surface morphology of samples has been studied by AFM analysis. Investigation of chemical changes of CR-39 polymers has been carried out using FT-IR technique. Then registration of fingerprints on surface of CR-39 polymer has been reported using UV irradiation and chemical etching.