Properties of the acrylic acid polymers obtained by atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization

Plasma polymers of acrylic acid were obtained using an atmospheric pressure discharge system. The plasma polymerization reactor uses a dielectric barrier discharge, with the polyethylene terephthalate dielectric acting as substrate for deposition. The plasma was characterized by specific electrical measurements, monitoring the applied voltage and the discharge current. Based on the spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy, we analyzed the distribution of the excited species in the discharge gap, specific plasma temperatures (vibrational and gas temperatures) being calculated with the Boltzmann plot method. The properties of the plasma polymer films were investigated by contact angle measurements, infrared and UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy. The films produced by plasma polymerization at atmospheric pressure showed a hydrophilic character, in correlation with the strong absorbance of OH groups in the FTIR spectrum. Moreover, the surface of the plasma polymers at micrometric scale is smooth and free of defects without particular features.