Glow Discharge Plasma Effects on Colored Nylon 6 with Azo Dye

Plasma can be used as a new low-cost and efficient method to modify polymers' surface and constituent unit configuration. This research investigates the effects of argon DC glow discharge plasma on nylon 6 polymer films doped and loaded with DR1 dye. Plasma changes the morphology and breaks some bonds, creating free radicals on the surface of the polymer and immobilizing the dye on the broken bonds. The interaction of the dye with the polymer through the broken bonds leads to an increase in the stability of the dye structure due to an increment in their resonance length. On the other hand, these interactions lead to changes in the dye's optical and geometric isomeric activity. This work studies the chemical and morphological changes of nylon 6 by plasma with AFM and spectroscopic method. Furthermore, the aging of nylon 6 films doped and loaded with DR1 dye is measured, and the polymer's color configuration changes are investigated. Plasma stabilizes the dye on the polymer surface through making changes of chemical and physical properties on the surface components.