Surface oxidation of a Melinex 800 PET polymer material modified by an atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurement

Surface properties of a Melinex 800 PET polymer material modified by an atmospheric-pressure air dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) have been studied using X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurement. The results show that the material surface treated by the DBD was modified significantly in chemical composition, with the highly oxidised carbon species increasing as the surface processing proceeds. The surface hydrophilicity was dramatically improved after the treatment, with the surface contact angle reduced from 81.8° for the as-supplied sample to lower than 50° after treatment. Post-treatment recovery effect is found after the treated samples were stored in air for a long period of time, with the ultimate contact angles, as measured, being stabilised in the range 58-69° after the storage, varying with the DBD-treatment power density. A great amount of the C-O type bonding formed during the DBD treatment was found to be converted into the CO type during post-treatment storage. A possible mechanism for this bond conversion has been suggested.