Laser surface engineering of polymeric materials for the modification of wettability and adhesion characteristics

The popularity of surface engineering has increased significantly over the past 10 years. This is usually owed to the fact that, in many instances, no more can be done to improve a material's adhesion performance through manipulation of the bulk material. Due to this, many industrialists and academics are turning their attentions to controlling material surfaces to optimize their properties, including wettability and adhesion. With its numerous benefits, when it comes to materials processing, laser surface engineering is now becoming more widely used to bring about the necessary required surface modifications for a wide range of applications such as biomedical, microbiological, tooling, battery development and for applications in the electronics industry. This Chapter discusses the implementation of lasers for the surface engineering of polymeric materials along with contact angle goniometry and tensiometry, two common methods for analysis of the wettability and adhesion of materials that will lead to the unlocking of new knowledge about wetting and adhesion regimes.