POLYMER SURFACE-TREATMENT FOR IMPROVEMENT OF METAL POLYMER ADHESION

The interaction between a low-pressure gas plasma and organic materials has mechanical (surface cleaning and dry micro-etching) and electrostatic (cross-linking and surface activation) effects. Corrosion of a fluorinated ethylenepropylene (FEP) sample was studied for different conditions. The corrosion rate of FEP depends on the gas and on the gas pressure and has the highest value for oxygen. The modifications of the sample surface were studied by contact-angle measurements for water and formamide and by the thermally stimulated discharge current method. The optimum parameters for a continuum vacuum metallization process of FEP are presented.