Effect of Swelling of Chemical Reagents and the Sulfuric-Chromic Acid Bath on Surface Texturizing of Poly(Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene).

The surface modification of copolymer substrates of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) is significant for the electroplating industry. The sulfuric-chromic acid bath, used in the Electroless process, conditioning the ABS surface by selective oxidation of poly(butadiene) creating interconnected micro-holes, which allows an excellent mechanical adherence between the metallic film and the substrate. The chromium in its hexavalent form Cr(VI) is harmful to human beings and the environment being a carcinogenic element.

Femtosecond laser ablation of polypropylene: A statistical approach of morphological data.

We have investigated femtosecond (fs) laser (130 fs, 800 nm, 5 kHz) ablation of polypropylene (PP). The following laser process conditions were varied: power density and number of pulses. The morphological parameters' response (depth, ablation diameter, ablation volume) to the laser process conditions, measured by an optical profiler, was investigated by the statistical analysis technique to determine the relationship between them.