Study on Efficient Surface Modification of PC-ABS Under Alkaline Conditions

Polycarbonate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC-ABS) has been treated with an aqueous solution of N -methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH) under conditions that achieve a controlled level of polymer swelling. In addition, the micro-etching effect of alkaline potassium permanganate on PC-ABS was investigated using a low environmental impact binary micro-etching system. The effect of NaOH concentration, etching time, and temperature on surface roughness, morphology, wettability, and PC-ABS adhesion strength has been examined. The PC-ABS surface characteristics were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results have demonstrated that the surface morphology was altered after micro-etching, with an increase in surface roughness ( R a ) from 9.69 to 316 nm. In addition, the contact angle decreased from 92.2° to 30.1°, and the adhesion strength increased to 0.88 kN/m. The findings of this study have established an effective micro-etching process using alkaline potassium permanganate that enhances the wettability, surface roughness, and adhesion strength of the PC-ABS copolymer.