BROAD RANGE VARIATION IN SURFACE-TENSION BY PLASMA-POLYMERIZED COATINGS ON POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE

Plasma polymerization is a surface-coating technique which can be used to apply thin organic layers to a wide range of substrate materials. At IKV, Aachen a microwave plasma is used to deposit hydrophilic and h ydrophobic coatings on polymethyl methacrylate. The surface tension ca n be varied from below 5 mN m-1 to more than 70 mN m-1 by admixing car rier gases such as nitrogen or oxygen with the monomer hexamethyl disi loxane. Adhesion of the layers can be achieved via the deposition of g raded coatings by changing the process parameters during the coating p rocess.