Adhesion Enhancement Mechanism of Plasma-Modified Tire Cord

Tire cord was treated with oxygen glow-discharge plasma in order to enhance the adhesion. The treated surfaces were characterized by stunning electron microscopy （SEM）, specific surface area analysis Brunaner-Emmett-Teller （BET）, X.ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, contact angle measurement, and the standard H-pull test. Results indicated that the plasma treatment could increase the surface roughness, modify the nature and density of surface functional groups, and greatly improve the surface energy and adhesion of tire cord. After long term storage in ambient air, the enhanced adhesion decreased slightly.