Improved adhesion to polymers by UV/ozone surface oxidation

An ultraviolet-ozone oxidation process is shown to be an effective adhesion pretreatment for polyethylene (PE) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The data obtained indicate that the treatment gives considerable oxidation and improved wettability for PE and PEEK surface types. Treated surfaces were analysed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angles. XPS was also used to follow the chemistry and mechanism of the oxidation. Adhesion with a two-part epoxy was measured for PE and PEEK and was observed to improve significantly after pretreatment.