Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41748812›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

Optical characterization analysis of surface modified-plastics (SMP) induced by atmospheric cold plasma system.

Mark Nickole H Tabafa, Aldrin P Bonto, Jose M Esmeria, Patrick Joshua Emannuel Montales, James Roy P Lesidan, Jejomar A Bulan, Jumar G Cadondon, Tatsuo Shiina, Maria Cecilia D Galvez, Edgar A Vallar

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Mark Nickole H TabafaEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines. mark_nickole_tabafa@dlsu.edu.ph.
Aldrin P BontoDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.
Jose M EsmeriaEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.
Patrick Joshua Emannuel MontalesEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.
James Roy P LesidanEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.
Jejomar A BulanEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.
Jumar G CadondonEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines. jgcadondon@up.edu.ph.
Tatsuo ShiinaGraduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Yayoi-cho, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan.
Maria Cecilia D GalvezEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.
Edgar A VallarEnvironment and RemoTe sensing researcH (EARTH) Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, De La Salle University Manila, 1004 Taft Avenue, Manila, 0922, Philippines.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Surface modification of polymers is essential for improving adhesion, coating performance, and wettability in various industrial and environmental applications. In this study, uniformly cut samples of common plastics such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were exposed to a low-cost atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) system using a zero-voltage switching (ZVS). The plasma system operated at an output of 10–20 kV, using argon (Ar), nitrogen (N₂), and oxygen (O₂) as working gases under atmospheric conditions. Samples were treated for 5 and 10 min of exposure. Surface modifications were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and contact angle measurements (CAM). A pronounced roughness enhancement was found in PP and HDPE. Moderate changes were seen in PET and PVC, while PS had a minimal response. FTIR confirmed the creation of oxygen-containing functional groups (–OH, C= O), enhancing surface polarity. The contact angle of PP decreased from 108° to 47°, while HDPE decreased from 80° to 62°, showing that improvements in wettability arise from the combined effects of chemical functionalization and increased surface roughness. These findings demonstrate that the low-cost ACP system effectively tailors polymer surface chemistry and morphology, providing a scalable and eco-friendly approach for adhesion, coating, and sustainable polymer processing applications.

Indexed as

Adhesion and coatingsAtmospheric cold plasma (ACP)Polymer surface modificationSurface chemistry and functionalizationWettability enhancement

Identifiers

PMID41748812
PMCPMC13043665

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.