Studying the Structural and Morphological Properties of (PMMA) Film under D.C Discharge Plasma

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, a lab-scale direct current (DC) glow discharges plasma system was used to adjust the surfaces of polymeric films. Characteristics of the plasma system have displayed under the discharge of three gasses (O2, N2 and Ar). DC-Plasma system has been used for the adjustment of polymethyl methacrylate surface as a function of treatment time and the types of gases. The modified surface was characterized in terms of crystal structure and surface morphology by the analysis of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A comparison between treated and untreated films was also made. The roughness and the root mean square (RMS) for pure PMMA films were continuously increased with increasing the exposure time for different gasses. SEM images observed degradation of the surface with granular spots due to the chain missioning and cross-linking effects. An efficient method of treatment for enhancing the surface roughness of pure-PMMA polymer is the using of argon plasma compared to O2, N2 plasma.