The effect of corona and ozone treatment on the adhesion of ink to the surface of polyethylene

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Abstract
Low density polyethylene sheet was subjected to treatment by corona discharge in oxygen, nitrogen, helium and argon; in addition some sheets were treated with ozone gas. The bond strength between two similarly treated sheets was then measured using a commercial flexographic ink as an adhesive. The results showed that although surface oxidation improved both the ink adhesion and the wetting properties of polyethylene it is not a necessary prerequisite for good bonding. When the sheet was subjected to electrical discharge in nitrogen, argon or helium, considerable enhancement of ink adhesion was obtained without any detectable change in the surface chemistry of the polymer. The results indicate that ink adhesion after treatment in various gases follows closely the trends established previously in corona‐induced autohesion of polyethylene. This suggests that the mechanism of bonding is similar in the two cases.

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