Statistical analysis of the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) operating parameters on the surface processing of poly(methylmethacrylate) film

The nature and scale of the induced surface changes that originate from the various processing conditions employed have been further considered to determine if an interrelationship exists between them. Non-parametric data analysis indicates that no significant correlation exists between the observed changes in measured polymer wettability and the attendant surface oxygen enrichment. This result suggests that the increase in surface wettability caused by DBD processing, as manifested in a reduced contact angle, is not merely attributable to changes in the surface chemistry. As such, it is postulated that changes in the surface microstructure may also contribute to this change in surface wettability.