<b>Plasma treatment has previously been employed to increase diffuse reflectance of smooth polymer surfaces. We are investigating whether plasma treatment can be employed to add additional multiscale roughness to an already rough polymer coating in order to increase the diffuse reflectance. During development of a sensor that required a flat black contrast material, several candidate coatings were identified with each having a total % reflectance of 2-3% across the wavelength range of interest. All showed some increase in total reflectance with weathering indicating likely erosion of the multiscale surface roughness that is critical for high diffuse reflectance. AFM phase and topographic data shown below for one of the coatings illustrates this multiscale roughness. Coating surfaces with and without plasma treatment were characterized with FTIR, AFM, and SEM before and after outdoor weathering. Total reflectance and diffuse reflectance were measured before and after outdoor weathering to correlate changes in surface topography and chemistry with plasma treatment condition and changes in optical properties. </b>

Plasma treatment of rough polymer surfaces to achieve increased diffuse reflectance

255th National Meeting (2018)

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