Colored Poly(vinyl chloride) by Femtosecond Laser Machining

Abstract

Colored poly­(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining without the addition of chemical colorants, eliminating the concern of leaching dyes and pigments. We determined that the changes in surface chemistry and surface topography both contribute to the observed yellow, brown, and black color formation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on the machined samples showed that conjugated double bonds are liable for the yellow and brown colors, whereas the presence of oxidized carbon and surface topography contribute to the black color. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that laser irradiation altered the material’s properties only near the surface, which left the bulk properties unaltered. Furthermore, chemical resistance tests showed that some of the samples were able to withstand the influence of aggressive chemicals and their color did not fade. Finally, we showed that the fabrication of colored PVC highly depends on its ablation energy threshold which is affected by the laser pulse duration and wavelength.

Preparation and Laser Marking Properties of Poly(propylene)/Molybdenum Sulfide Composite Materials

“…Due to excellent heat resistance, high chemical stability, resistant ability to most acid and alkali corrosions, and good processability, PP and its composite materials have been widely used in automobiles, packaging, membrane separation and pipelines, and other fields. − Generally, the surface of PP products needs to be marked with patterns and texts such as two-dimensional (2D) codes and serial numbers to indicate the production date, company logo, the product expiration date, and anticounterfeiting functions. Usually, ink printing is used to produce these marks on the surface of the material, but there is the use of toxic and harmful reagents, the process flow is complicated, and there are serious environmental pollution problems. , In recent years, laser marking technology has emerged as a new type of printing technology that uses high-energy lasers to mark the surface of materials to form patterns, text, crystalline and self-assembly structures, and morphology. − For example, Park et al reported the laser-directed supramolecular assembly of sub-5 nm columnar structures with adjustable orientation control. The high energy of the laser causes the matrix resin to be heated and carbonized, forming a clear pattern , of carbonization and blackening on the surface of the material.…”

Surface Laser-Marking and Mechanical Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymer Composites with Organically Modified Montmorillonite

“…Laser marking technology has been widely used in the marking and patterning of material surfaces due to its rapid, efficient, and environmentally friendly advantages. − Due to the wide variety of polymer materials having different structures and compositions, their laser response performance and the clarity and contrast of laser marking also show differences. ABS has excellent chemical stability and mechanical properties, but ABS is not a very good absorber of the near-infrared laser, leading to the blurred laser marking .…”

Preparation of Hierarchically Structured Polystyrene Surfaces with Superhydrophobic Properties by Plasma-Assisted Fluorination

“…Hierarchically structured surfaces with well-defined textures play very significant roles in sophisticated applications in sensors [1], photonics [2], tissue engineering [3], and superhydrophobic materials [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Generally, these surfaces are prepared in several steps combining mechanical, laser machining, physicochemical, and plasma technologies [13][14][15][16]. The so-called "breath figures" is one of the very popular and promising approaches [17][18][19].…”