Analysis and characterization of printed plasma-treated polyvinyl chloride

Abstract

A number of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) applications require a modification of surface properties of the polymer. In the present work, the effects of plasma treatment on the resulting surface, including chemical composition, wettability, and roughness, were assessed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. A significant alteration regarding the oxygen and carbon kontent as evidenced by the XPS data was observed after oxygen plasma treatment. Scanning electron microscope images revealed a drastic change of the topography of the treated surface. These changes correspond to improvement in the printability of the treated surface. Therefore, plasma modification in air is demonstrated to be a viable method to improve printability of PVC.