Farag OF
In the present study, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films were treated by DC argon glow discharge plasma to improve the hydrophilic properties of the films. The influence of plasma treatment on hydrophilic properties of the films was examined by the water contact angle and surface free energy (SFE) measurements. Also, the influence of treatment conditions (exposure time, applied power and working pressure) on water contact angle and surface free energy (SFE) of PVC surface was examined. The results showed that the water contact angle decreased from 85° for pristine sample to 35° after treatment time 60 min. The SFE were increased significantly with increasing exposure time, applied power and working pressure. The influence of aging on wettability of the plasma treated samples was also examined. The water contact angle of the stored samples increases rabidly and reaches a plateau value after 5 days which is still lower than that for the pristine sample.
