Surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene film using the atmospheric pressure glow discharge in air

The atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) is more promising in industrial applications compared with glow discharges in a gas other than air or in low-pressure air, which needs an expensive vacuum system. In this paper, the APGD and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) are generated in atmospheric air using a power-frequency voltage source, and the transition from DBD to APGD is achieved by varying the electrode arrangement. The differences between their discharge characteristics are shown by measurement of their electrical discharge parameters and observation of light-emission phenomena. The effects of APGD and DBD on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surface modification are studied. The surface properties are characterized by contact angle measurement, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that the APGD and DBD treatments modify the PTFE surface in both morphology and composition. APGD is more effective in PTFE surface modification than DBD as it can modify the surface more uniformly, implant more oxygen atoms into the surface and make the contact angle decline to a lower level. The experimental results are discussed.