Surface Modification of Silicone by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

The objective of the study was to modify the surface of the silicone rubber, using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to improve its hydrophilic properties. The influence of the exposure time, discharge power, and gas composition—in which the dielectric barrier discharge was generated—on the properties of the silicone surface layer were examined. After the modification, the wetting angles of the surface were measured. Then, the value of surface free energy (SFE) and changes in the polar components of the modified silicone over time were determined using the Owens–Wendt method. The surfaces and morphology of the selected samples before and after plasma modification were examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR–ATR), atomic force microscopy AFM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Based on the research, it can be concluded that the silicone surface can be modified using a dielectric barrier discharge. Surface modification, regardless of the chosen method, is not permanent. The AFM and XPS study show that the structure’s ratio of oxygen to carbon increases. However, after less than four weeks, it decreases and reaches the value of the unmodified silicone. It was found that the cause of the changes in the parameters of the modified silicone rubber is the disappearance of oxygen-containing groups on the surface and a decrease in the molar ratio of oxygen to carbon, causing the RMS surface roughness and the roughness factor to return to the initial values.