The chemical inertness and high-temperature resistance of fluoropolymers have long made them one of the best materials for service in harsh, elevated temperature chemical environments. Achieving good adhesion to substrates from a class of materials that exhibits low-surface-energy, “nonstick” properties has long been a challenge.

The serviceability and usefulness of fluoropolymers are severely limited because of the inability to achieve strong adhesive bonds between fluoropolymer surfaces and other materials such as adhesives, plastics, ceramics, metals, and glass. Greater adhesion capabilities would expand the potential uses of fluoropolymers, making them a commercially feasible alternative to traditional coating and lining materials. Can this be achieved, however, without sacrificing any of the polymer’s superior performance properties? This article describes a cold-gas plasma treatment that permanently bonds adhesives and coatings to thin films and sheets of fluoropolymers without degrading the performance of the material. The process enhances adhesive characteristics at the nexus of the treated fluoropolymers and various substrates.