Enhancing the interfacial adhesion of PET and silicone rubber by plasma-assisted coupling agent treatment

The poor interfacial adhesion between silicone rubber and polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) affects the safety and durability of fabric-rubber products in service. In this study, a low-cost and simple atmospheric plasma surface treatment device is used to treat the surface of polyester fabric continuously, followed by coating KH570 onto the fabric surface. The adhesion strength of fabric-rubber interface is successfully enhanced by this method. The peel strength of the specimens treated with this bonding process reaches 3.92 N/mm and 5.73 N/mm in the warp and weft directions, respectively, which are 5.16 and 7.44 times of untreated fabric samples, superior to commercially-available silicone rubber adhesive. In addition, the bonding mechanism of the interface is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle test. This study provides a practical and environmentally friendly method for fabricating fabric silicone rubber materials with high interfacial performances. [Display omitted]