Influence of microwave plasma treatment on the wettability and the adhesive properties of polyamides films with an epoxy resin

Microwave plasma surface treatments of polyamides films, PA11 and PA12, have been carried out. Two treatments were used: ammonia and nitrogen/oxygen mixtures. Chemical and physical modifications of the surface were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and wettability measurements. The adhesion of the polyamide films with two epoxy adhesives was studied using a series of different tests in parallel: three-point bending test, pull-off test and lap-shear test. The wettability and adhesive properties were shown to improve greatly after plasma treatment, especially for the nitrogen/oxygen mixture. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.