Improvement of the Adhesion Between TiO2 Nanofilm and Glass Substrate by Roughness Modifications

An increase of the adhesion between soda-lime glass substrate and TiO2 nanofilm was achieved by roughness modifications, treating the glass surface with acid or basic solutions. The study was organised through a D-optimal experimental design. The roughness (measured by AFM) and the weight loss were statistically analysed using MODDE 9.0 software. Subsequently, the correlation between the surface roughness and the adhesion (measured by scratch test) of the films was studied. The statistic analysis of the results indicates how the chemical treatments modify the roughness of the glasses and it was found that smooth surfaces enhance the adhesion of the films.