Study on Efficient Surface Modification of <scp>PC</scp>‐<scp>ABS</scp> Under Alkaline Conditions

ABSTRACT 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.